Homey hospitality, hearty food, lively Irish music, and an Irish beer, whiskey, glass of wine – or spot of tea – all help create a sense of community at Galway Bay Irish Pub in Ocean Shores.
Whether it be their sought-after Irish soda bread muffins, a corned beef sandwich, fish ‘n chips, bangers and mash, pasties, rack of lamb or shepherd’s pie, the authentic Irish food is both tasty and satisfying. The homemade bread pudding and custard are dreamt of delicacies and the traditional Irish breakfast, “the trad,” is both a delicious hearty breakfast for locals as well as a comforting taste of home for Irish tourists.
Just as famous as Ireland’s food, drink, wool sweaters and tenors, is that country’s hospitality. And Galway Bay Irish Pub founder Liam Gibbons, 67, and co-owner Christopher Doyle, 56, both Irish Catholics, have that welcoming spirit in spades. Christopher Doyle and Liam Gibbons at a previous years’ Celtic Feis. (Photo courtesy of Galway Bay)
“You know there’s an old Irish saying, ‘One more for dinner? Just put another potato in the pot!’ and that’s kind of how we operate our business,” said Doyle, who joined Gibbons in 2012. Homey hospitality, hearty food, lively Irish music, and an Irish beer, whiskey, glass of wine – or spot of tea – all help create a sense of community at Galway Bay Irish Pub in Ocean Shores.
Christopher Doyle and Liam Gibbons at a previous years’ Celtic Feis. (Photo courtesy of Galway Bay)
Photo by Katie McGregor
Whether it be their sought-after Irish soda bread muffins, a corned beef sandwich, fish ‘n chips, bangers and mash, pasties, rack of lamb or shepherd’s pie, the authentic Irish food is both tasty and satisfying. The homemade bread pudding and custard are dreamt of delicacies and the traditional Irish breakfast, “the trad,” is both a delicious hearty breakfast for locals as well as a comforting taste of home for Irish tourists.
Just as famous as Ireland’s food, drink, wool sweaters and tenors, is that country’s hospitality. And Galway Bay Irish Pub founder Liam Gibbons, 67, and co-owner Christopher Doyle, 56, both Irish Catholics, have that welcoming spirit in spades. Christopher Doyle and Liam Gibbons at a previous years’ Celtic Feis. (Photo courtesy of Galway Bay) “You know there’s an old Irish saying, ‘One more for dinner? Just put another potato in the pot!’ and that’s kind of how we operate our business,” said Doyle, who joined Gibbons in 2012 as a partner.
In 1993 Gibbons, who had come to Grays Harbor from the Midwest in 1980 to work in the forestry industry, began Galway Bay as a small gift shop at a different location. Now 28 years later, it is a 10,000-foot complex at 880 Point Brown Ave. N.E., which includes the restaurant, tasting room, bar, game room, banquet room, two patios and an extensive Celtic food and gift shop.
Add comfy club chairs, dark wood paneling, a cozy fireplace and a friendly staff to complete the experience. The relaxed atmosphere of the entire establishment offers a feast for the eyes and the brain. Intriguing artifacts of every kind from Irish sports memorabilia, an Irish harp, photos of popes and even a signed picture of Mother Teresa, somehow all come together in a cohesive, festive way.
“This is a testament to what Liam has built,” said Doyle gesturing to the bustling restaurant. “He has great vision when it comes to things like this. He has always had a love for his Irish heritage and he taught me to have a love for my Irish heritage. I really wasn’t that Irish until I met him and then I got involved looking into my own genealogy and whatnot and just what the Irish stand for,” Doyle said.
Gibbons also credits his wife Linda whose faith in him and steady teaching job allowed him to pursue his Irish dream. Now retired, she still can be found working in the gift shop on Saturdays.
Some people don’t realize that a pub doesn’t have a tavern kind of feel, Gibbons said. “In Ireland, pub is short for public house and that means it is place for the community to gather.”
“If you’re looking at taking shots and getting drunk, we’re not the place,” agreed Doyle. “We want people to have a great time responsibly. We want them as customers for a long time.”
As if building a large Irish restaurant complex in an area without a large Irish-heritage community wasn’t adventurous enough, in 2004 Gibbons created the Celtic Music Feis, a celebration of Irish music and culture that the restaurant hosts each October, which had been a historically slow time in the tourist city of Ocean Shores. Over the years, truly world-class talent has been featured including Doolin’, Sean Keane, Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfe Tones, and even the Irish tenors. The restaurant complex includes three smaller stages and one mainstage. In addition, entertainment is scheduled at the Ocean Shores Convention Hall, and the 8th Street Ale House in Hoquiam.
The outdoor patio at Galway Bay is covered and so is useful in many seasons. (Photo by Katie McGregor) This year’s festival – the 18th annual – is slated for Oct. 18-24 and will feature an eclectic mix of Irish bands, choirs and dancers from the U.S., Canada, Austria and, of course, Ireland. For more information or to purchase event tickets, go to www.celticmusicfeis.com. With some 25 different individuals and groups performing over a week, the festival has grown to be one of the top Irish music festivals in the nation. It’s routinely sold out. Covid-19 threw a wrench in 2020’s celebration – the 17th annual. But Gibbons and Doyle managed to pull together an on-line festival experience.
It’s not just during the annual feis that Celtic music is celebrated at Galway Bay Irish Pub. Every Friday and Saturday live Irish music is performed at the pub. And when there’s not live music playing, the background music in the family-friendly restaurant and throughout the building is Irish as well. The gift shop also features a vast variety of Irish music CDs for sale, along with various Irish musical instruments, sheet music, woolen sweaters, Irish caps, art, food, jewelry, home décor crafted by Gibbons, and much more.
Grays Harbor Gastro Galaxy
If running a large gift shop, pub and restaurant establishment as well as managing a huge week-long festival doesn’t keep Gibbons and Doyle busy enough, the two restauranteurs not only own Galway Bay together, they also own the North Cove Bar and Grill in Tokeland. Gibbons also owns the 8th Street Ale House, a popular gastro pub at 207 8th St. in Hoquiam, but Doyle runs it.
In addition, in 2017 Doyle purchased the Lighthouse Drive-in Restaurant at 2121 Simpson Ave. in Aberdeen, as well as the yellow lighthouse-shaped Lighthouse Restaurant at 850 Point Brown Ave. N.E. in Ocean Shores. But their influence on Grays Harbor eateries goes even beyond the restaurants they own!
Turns out the two not only know how to create delicious food and successful restaurants, but also how to encourage others to do the same. Several former employees now own their own notable restaurants on the Harbor.
They include Brodey Jones who owns Ocean Beach Roasters, 841 Point Brown Ave. N.W., as well as Rob Paylor and Patrick Durney, who first owned Mill 109 at Seabrook and now own Hoquiam Brewing Co., Inc., 526 8th St. in Hoquiam.
“I learned a lot working for them, for sure,” Paylor said. “Gibbons gave me one of my first management jobs at Galway and then later was so encouraging to Patrick and me as we started our own restaurant. He told us, ‘Hey if this is a better opportunity for you, do it!’ He even looked over our initial lease for the restaurant and has helped me with employee issues. I consider him a mentor. He’s been super great, both he and Doyle.” For up-to-date hours and information on Galway Bay Irish Pub, visit galwaybay@coastaccess.com, or call (360) 289-2300.