The History Behind our Pub
The Curragh first opened its doors in June 1999 and was located in Schaumburg right next to Woodfield Mall. The Curragh was hugely popular and quickly garnered a reputation for great food, perfect pints and true Irish hospitality. Its annual St. Patrick’s Day Fleadh (festival) attracted visitors from far and wide and was considered by many to be the Mother of all Parties!
After several successful years operating in Schaumburg, the Curragh closed its doors in 2006 to make way for a major retail development. But this was not to be the end, merely the next chapter. The Curragh was carefully dismantled, piece by piece and plans were put in place to find a new home. The decision on where to relocate was an easy one and Edison Park would soon become home to the new Curragh. After three years of careful planning, thoughtful design and painstaking hard work, the original Curragh re-opened in Edison Park in January 2009.
There are additional Curragh locations in Holland, Michigan and in Skokie, Illinois. Each Curragh pub is made up of a number of parts that all add up to a distinctively different and wonderful experience for our guests.
The staff, the design, the Irish bric-a-brac, the drink, the food, the music, and the name create a sense of Irish history that people enjoy visiting time and again. Choosing the right name for our pub was extremely important. We wanted our name to tell a lot about our pub. The Curragh is headquarters of Flat Racing in Ireland. Written evidence of racing dates back to the third century when chariot races were held at the "Cuireach" – Gaelic word for racecourse, on the lands known today as the Curragh Racecourse and Training Grounds. The Curragh hosts all five Classic Races and up to thirteen other quality race days. It is owned and managed by the Irish Turf Club, founded in Kildare in the 1760’s.
The Pub Experience "Craic"
In the small villages that dot Ireland, the pub culture plays an important role in social life: it is the social hub of the community. Half of the magic of Ireland lies in the people, for whom great conversation and good humor are at the very heart of a wonderful culture. For instance, in a town with a population of 1,000, there are often as many as 50 pubs. Village folks don’t sit in front of the television after supper, they meet at the local pub and don’t go home until everyone at the table has politely bought a round.
Craic is an atmosphere that will be different from pub to pub, yet will be the main difference between us and all of the other pubs, restaurants, and bars in town. Craic is not something that you can hold in your hand, nor can you see it on the wall yet, when you walk into a pub and it is there, you can definitely feel it. Craic is the little something extra that is done to make our guests have a great time.
The Irish are well known for their appreciation of good drink. Beer and ale are almost as important to the Irish diet as food, and pub life is a critical aspect of the Irish social culture. Stout, a strong dark, malty-tasting beer, is Ireland’s most popular drink; and Guinness, a name that is synonymous with stout, is a national treasure. Here at the Curragh we guarantee that your pint will be the best around. In recognition of our dedication to pouring the perfect pint, the Curragh has been awarded the Guinness Gold Standard Award for perfect pints!
Thank you for visiting the Curragh Irish Pub and Restaurant and we hope you enjoyed the "Craic".