The Best Hospitality in the West on Tap at Ceilis Irish Pubs
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
On my recent visit to Alberta, I had an opportunity to speak with Shane Seaman, the managing partner at Ceili’s Irish Pub in Calgary, and Bill McBain, the managing partner at Ceili's in Edmonton. These personable fellows are going concerns and they both look like they operate on a Duracell battery.
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CEILI’S IRISH PUB in Calgary (L-R) Jessica Mizuik, hostess with managing partner Shane Seaman and Calyn Johnson.
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Shane makes his headquarters at the original Ceili’s on Fifth, located at 126 - 513 Eighth Avenue S.W., in Calgary. He brought me up to speed on what was happening at Ceili’s saying, “we now have two Ceili’s within a two block area in downtown Calgary.
“At the original location, we have music six nights a week. Every Thursday night, we have our East Coast Kitchen Party with a great local band called, Fraid Knot. They are one of the best Celtic bands in Calgary, and on Thursday nights we also do great specials on seafood and Alexander Keith’s beer.”
Patio season is here and Ceili’s boasts Canada’s biggest rooftop patio. Three months ago, their patio was sold out for the 10 days of the Calgary Stampede – there isn’t a spot left. Calgary is very busy when it comes to Stampede and the whole city gets very excited.
At the new Ceili’s location at 803 - Eighth Avenue, S.W., they offer live music three nights a week. Before the end of the year, there are plans to open another Ceili’s near the airport. They are also looking at another location in Edmonton.
A Ceili’s in Vancouver is also in the planning stages and they hope to look at some potential sites this Fall. They already have the upscale Skybar Restaurant opened in Vancouver.
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Ashley with managing partner Bill McBain and Seri at Ceili’s Irish Pub in Edmonton.
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Halifax-born, Bill McBain, is the managing partner in Edmonton, which is located at 10338 109th Street. He came to Alberta with a lacrosse team and never left. He said, “I’ve opened and closed a dozen bars in 25 years, but Ceili’s have promised to bury me.”
Ceili’s Irish Pub in Edmonton is also the official sponsors of the Edmonton Wolfe Tones Gaelic Football Team.
Edmonton is a busy and exciting city, especially with the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Team going into the second round of the NHL play-offs. The Grand Prix will be coming up in the next couple of months, along with the 2006 World Handball Championships which will be held in the Alberta capital city. Klondike Days are also another big attraction in Edmonton.
For more information about the Ceili’s Pubs and their many activities, check-out their website at: www.ceilis.com.
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