Brigid’s Well – Lowertown’s own neighbourhood Irish pub

By Dave Bowen

There’s no neon sign out front telling you you’ve arrived, no menu on the door with a list of offerings, nor even any big windows to peep in and see what’s inside. The only sign you’re at your destination is the small blue light over the door, lit when they’re open. But once you open the big wooden door and descend the stairs, you find yourself in the welcoming interior of Brigid’s Well, Lowertown’s neighbourhood Irish pub.

The pub and the deconsecrated church it’s found in are named after St. Brigid of Kildare, one of the triumvirate of Irish patron saints along with St. Patrick and St. Columba. She is a patroness of many things including blacksmithing, poetry, healing, dairy production, and most importantly in this context, beer. Saint Brigid’s Well, said to have healing properties, is located well off the beaten track on the west coast of Ireland in County Clare, south of Galway.

The pub and adjoining Kildare Room are found in the basement of what is now St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts, home of the National Irish Canadian Cultural Centre. The church was built in 1890 to accommodate the mostly Irish, English-speaking Catholics of Lowertown. In what seems impossible given how long construction takes in the neighbourhood these days, ground was broken in 1889 and the first blessing of the church took place in August 1890. The Diocese chose to close the church in 2006 given the decline in the size of the congregation and the cost to maintain the building. A group of local investors, led by Irish ex-patriate, Patrick McDonald, stepped in to purchase the church in 2007 and the Centre as we know it was born. 

Ownership of the building has continued under the same group of original investors with the exception of a brief hiccup by a paper-crown-sporting group who tried to take over the building shortly after the trucker occupation of the downtown. Trying to recreate the glory days of their mayhem in our own neighbourhood, they were summarily shown the door by the legal system. Residents of the neighbourhood showed up regularly to show how unwelcome they were.

The rooms in the basement and space previously used for religious services served primarily as special event venues until the pub opened in 2016. The Well has space for around 100 people and the adjoining Kildare Room holds around 200. Most of the pews have now been removed from the former place of worship upstairs, creating a beautiful open space that can be configured for concerts, receptions, or even special dinners (if you’re interested in owning a piece of history, some of the pews are still available for sale).  When the Junos were last in town, there was a memorable concert there with some of Canada’s best, held among the icons and stained glass.

Brigid’s Well may not have the most stylish interior, it is in the basement of a very old church after all, but it is a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The bar has a broad selection of Irish whiskeys, several Irish beers on tap, and claims to have the best pint of Guinness in town. They play host to games nights, have occasional groups in for drafts of their sports pools (yep, done that), and are happy to set up the space for special events. They now have a basic menu so you no longer have to have your food brought in from elsewhere.  

Music is a big part of the Well, and there are both organized shows and more informal trad nights. The last Friday of each month sees a group of musicians in for an elongated jam session. John Carroll is in every Sunday from 3:00 to 6:00 pm if you have the afternoon free.

Drop in some time, they’ll be happy to see you!