Celebrate Irish Heritage with The Barry Family
Sláinte: a word most Americans have probably never heard before, but have certainly experienced. Pronounced “slan-cha,” it translates to “health” in Irish and Scottish Gaelic, and it’s commonly used as a drinking toast. But to Danny and Jessica Barry, it means much more than that. It’s a word that symbolizes community and camaraderie. It’s a greeting, thank you, and “see you later” all in one.
A real-life translation of the word looks something like this: Music breaks out as laughter and cheers of “sláinte” ring through the air. The room is filled with friendly smiles that make even a stranger feel like you’ve known them forever. It’s an average night at Barry’s Old School Irish in Webster— before it closed its doors in 2023—and exactly what the Barrys pictured when they founded the pub twelve years earlier.
It all started in 2011 with their honeymoon to the quaint Irish countryside. Among rolling hills and the warm hospitality of traditional Irish pubs, the couple realized they wanted to take a little piece of that magic back home to Rochester. And so they did, founding Barry’s Old School Irish that same year.
Over the years, the pub became a Rochester staple. Jessica attributes its success to “all the wonderful people that came in the pub and filled the walls with so much love and laughter, creating memories that will last a lifetime.” And even though Barry’s may no longer be open, the echoes of those cherished memories live on in the hearts of its patrons.
A particularly fond pub memory happened one St. Patrick’s Day when a friend of the Barrys' brought his horse to the celebration. “Turns out his horse was a big fan of Guinness and had a pint with everyone there,” she recalls, still smiling at the thought.
Beyond The Pub
After over a decade of building community and camaraderie at Barry’s Old School Irish, Danny and Jessica decided to close the pub in 2023 and pursue their dream of creating a liquor company. Though the pub’s doors may have closed, the spirit of sláinte lives on in a new form – the bottle form, to be exact.
“During the pandemic, you were able to sell alcohol out the door, so we would make fresh Irish cream on the spot as a mixed drink every day for people to take home,” Jessica explains. “This allowed people to take home a piece of the pub on any night to enjoy, even though they couldn’t physically be at the pub at that time.”
It was this that originally sparked the idea for Barry’s Irish Cream Liqueur — the first drink in Danny and Jessica’s new endeavor, and one that truly captures the spirit of Barry’s Old School Irish in a bottle. Now, the Tipperary, Ireland-made drink is available all over New York State in restaurants, bars, liquor stores, and of course, pubs.
This Year, Do St. Patrick’s Day Barry Style
Looking for ways to up your St. Patrick’s Day game? There are few better folks to show you how than Danny and Jessica Barry and their three kiddos. For this family, St. Patrick’s Day goes beyond wearing green and hunting for four-leaf clovers – it’s a full-day, full-family affair of parade marching, recipe crafting, and embracing their Irish roots – and enjoying a drink or two (though this tradition’s just for the grownups).
“When it comes to the big day itself, we recommend making a whole day of it,” Jessica says. She suggests kicking off your St. Patty’s Day with a cup of Irish tea and Irish cream bundt cake. Lunch calls for a bowl of potato and herb soup, with homemade Irish brown bread and Kerry Gold butter on the side.
For dinner? “Obviously corned beef and cabbage! The best tip we can give when preparing your corned beef is to let it slow cook in Irish beers like Smithwicks and Guinness all day. Potatoes and carrots accompany the dish as well. For dessert, throw some Barry’s Irish Cream in your coffee with homemade whipped cream on top, sprinkled with a bit of nutmeg.”
Another cherished Barry tradition is participating in the annual Rochester St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Every year, the whole family proudly marches through downtown, clad in green from head to toe. Danny and Jessica have been attending since they were kids themselves, which makesbeing recognized as the 2024 Rochester St.Patrick’s Day Parade Business Leaders of the Year all the more meaningful to them.
“We got to lead the parade, with our kids right there marching by our side. Smiles on our faces, proudly wearing our business leaders of the year sashes, and shillelagh in hand. What a day – one that we’ll hold in our hearts forever!”
Irish All Year Long
For the Barry family, celebrating all things Irish doesn’t stop at St. Patrick’s Day. Fall brings crisp air and crunchy leaves, but it also brings the annual Barry’s Irish Festival. Born from a goal of bringing the community together to celebrate Irish culture, the event is a full-day, family-oriented affair featuring local bagpipers, Irish organizations, Irish dance schools, and musicians like the Gates Keystone Club Police Pipes & Drums – who the Barrys are huge fans of. “They are some of the kindest people in the world,” Jessica says. “Unbelievably talented too...anytime there is a big Barry’s event, they are there for us.”
For Danny and Jessica, the festival is a cherished opportunity to watch “strangers become friends and friends become family. It’s incredible to see the very best of the human spirit all tied together with a shamrock bow.”
It’s a day that truly captures the spirit of the word that’s been there throughout their
journey, from a honeymoon in the Irish countryside to launching a liquor company and beyond: sláinte.