![\"Irish](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_First-look-at-Dirty-OSullivans-Irish-bar.jpg\")
Irish bar Dirty O’Sullivans has opened its doors within a historic 18th-century Manchester building(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\nThere’s self-pour Guinness booths, a pub-within-a-pub and authentic Irish breakfastsIrish bar Dirty O’Sullivans has opened its doors within a historic 18th-century Manchester building(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n
It\u2019s true that Manchester has a lot of Irish pubs and bars<\/a> right now – it\u2019s not something that the owners of the newly-opened Dirty O\u2019Sullivans can really get away from avoiding.<\/p>\n But, in the same breath, there\u2019s no denying that they\u2019ve gone for a elevated concept with their Albert Square<\/a> spot in the former Red’s True BBQ spot. In fact, owners Tokyo Industries, who are also behind the likes of Gorilla, Deaf Institute and BLVD, have taken the last few years ensuring they get everything just right.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Red\u2019s closed in 2023, we had plans to turn it into something else that would align with the reopening of the Town Hall,” Aaron Mellor, MD and CEO of Tokyo Industries, tells the M.E.N.<\/p>\n “I think, like everybody else, we were thinking that\u2019d happen about two or three years ago. So when we heard that the Christmas<\/a> Markets would be coming back to Albert Square – that was our motivation to get open in time.\u201d<\/p>\n Join our Manchester Food and Drink WhatsApp group <\/strong>HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n Taking on an Irish-American theme, the venue is full of little knick-knacks from signs, mantras, and even the Guinness toucan situated around practically every corner.<\/p>\n There\u2019s even private booths where customers can have bottomless Guinness – poured by themselves with tips from a \u2018pour specialist\u2019. There’s also Murphy’s, as well as Boddingtons, on draft, alongside an expansive choice of cocktails and spirits.<\/p>\n The venue also has its own \u2018Outlet O\u2019Sullivans\u2019 shop, selling Dirty O\u2019Sullivan caps, merch and bucket hats, as well as a live stage, and little nook-and-cranny spots to sit and relax. There’s even a church-style confessional booth, with the sign ‘God give me patience, but be quick’.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat sewed the seed for the entire venue really was a visit to The Dead Rabbit in New York,\u201d Aaron explains. \u201cThey have rooms that offer different atmospheres, and it just is a really great space that celebrates all things Irish with lots of Guinness and lots of Whiskey.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve tried to make the place look like an authentic American Irish bar that also shows off the elements of this beautiful 18th-century Lloyd House building which was built as a port dock office. We\u2019ve gone for Gangs of New York vibes.\u201d<\/p>\n Built between 1867 and 1868, Lloyd House was granted listed status in 1974. The building was once the former headquarters of the Manchester Shipping Offices and Packing Company, in around 1887. Before the venue opened as Red’s in 2014, it was home to the Livebait seafood restaurant, which was open from 2006 to 2011.<\/p>\n “We wanted to create a space that feels like Dublin meets Manchester,” Tokyo industries’ Operations Director Chris Bateson adds of Dirty O’Sullivans. “It’s all the heart and \u2018craic\u2019 of a traditional Irish pub, but with the energy we’ve become known for. It\u2019s a space for amazing Guinness, great authentic food, live music and good times.”<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not just Guinness and Whiskey that is served at Dirty O\u2019Sullivans. The food menu, developed by the same award-winning team behind the likes of Firehouse and Diecast, celebrates Irish-inspired sharing dishes – like Guinness onion soup, cheddar toasties, warm sausage rolls, loaded pies (with \u2018proper\u2019 gravy) and a full Irish breakfast.<\/p>\n When the concept was first unveiled a few weeks ago, the venue did not have a name<\/a>. Aaron says its name came about as an in-joke with the team that never really disappeared. But, for whatever reason, the name does feel very Mancunian and Irish.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is quite cheeky,\u201d he explains. \u201cOur Finance Director\u2019s called Michael O\u2019Sullivan and he\u2019s quite proud to be Irish, so it started with him. But, up until a few weeks ago, we were still indecisive on the name. We had a lot of suggestions but Dirty O\u2019Sullivans just stuck.\u201d<\/p>\n And with that, it\u2019s time for the topic of Manchester\u2019s boom in Irish bars and venues to come up. In the last few months, such venues have cropped up in the likes of Didsbury<\/a>, the Northern Quarter<\/a> and in the city centre. But, earlier this week, one venue, Mother Mary\u2019s, off Oxford Road, closed its doors<\/a> citing financial pressures.<\/p>\n \u201cIrish bars certainly go through this renaissance where they will keep disappearing and then keep coming back,\u201d Aaron admits. \u201cI think there\u2019s a lot that people can connect with them on. I think everyone is a bit Irish – in spirit, at least.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to offer something where people could come to somewhere which serves amazing breakfasts in the morning, and keeps on going until 2am with a traditional Irish band. There\u2019s just something about that.\u201d<\/p>\n One other novel aspect to Dirty O\u2019Sullivans is a pub-within-a-pub called Lucky\u2019s. It\u2019s a temporary pop-up space, but right now it throws back to the pubs of the 80s with beer mats, uneven picture frames, old TVs, and a smoke machine giving off a hazy cigarette fume-filled atmosphere. It\u2019s already been lovingly declared as the \u2018world\u2019s ****test pub within the world\u2019s best bar\u2019.<\/p>\n Aaron\u2019s Tokyo Industries continues to play a leading role in the city\u2019s thriving hospitality scene and he is confident that Dirty O\u2019Sullivans can fit nicely into that with what they\u2019re offering.<\/p>\n \u201cManchester\u2019s food and drink scene is always developing,\u201d he explains. \u201cWe operate venues across the world but it\u2019s really great to see Manchester is just continuing to expand. I\u2019m from Manchester, I have a huge place in my heart for it, and I always will.\u201d<\/p>\n Dirty O’Sullivans opens today (November 14). Next Friday, on November 21, the team behind the venue are inviting people to dip into The Craic Pot to test their fortunes, pulling out prizes ranging from free pints, roast dinners for two and Baby Guinness shots to major giveaways – including the ultimate jackpot: free pints for life. The Craic Pot will be unveiled from 1pm.<\/p>\n Dirty O’Sullivans is on 22 Lloyd Street, Manchester, M2 5WA.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763116696_648_0_First-look-at-Dirty-OSullivans-Irish-bar.jpg\")
The Irish-American venue takes its inspiration from New York bars and Martin Scorsese films(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n![\"Guinness](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763116697_281_0_First-look-at-Dirty-OSullivans-Irish-bar.jpg\")
Guinness and Whiskey have a big focus within the bar(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n![\"Aaron](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763116699_828_0_First-look-at-Dirty-OSullivans-Irish-bar.jpg\")
Aaron Mellor, MD and CEO of Tokyo Industries, said he wanted the venue to ‘show off the elements’ of the historic Manchester building(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n![\"There](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1_First-look-at-Dirty-OSullivans-Irish-bar.jpg\")
There will be private booths where people can enjoy unlimited Guinness(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_AMR_MEN_131125_DO_03JPG.jpg\")
The Dirty O’Sullivans menu will, of course, include an authentic full Irish Breakfast(Image: Dirty O’Sullivans)<\/p>\n![\"Lucky's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763116702_306_0_First-look-at-Dirty-OSullivans-Irish-bar.jpg\")
Lucky’s is the pub-within-a-pub in Dirty O’Sullivans(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n![\"Private](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763116703_115_0_First-look-at-Dirty-OSullivans-Irish-bar.jpg\")
Private booths will feature their own Guinness tap where people can try their luck at pouring the ‘black stuff’ themselves(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763116705_822_0_First-look-at-Dirty-OSullivans-Irish-bar.jpg\")
The venue is inspired by the Gangs of New York movie from Martin Scorsese(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n