Dollars are markers of wishes at Lynch’s Irish Pub-Picture by Rose Hammitt

Besides having just down right good food, Rose Hammitt and I enjoyed the atmosphere at Lynch’s Irish Pub in Jacksonville Beach. Curious about the dollar bills with names that appear on almost every empty spot in the ceiling and other sites, we asked our server about them. “They are markers, wishes,” she replied simply.

Two days in a row we found ourselves seated at the high seats sharing a meal big enough for two mulling over whether or not to add a dollar of our own to the collection. With staff that our server said “Are like family” the dollar bills mostly stay in place. It makes a girl curious just what the markers have been for, what wishes have come true while listening to the lilting Irish tunes that are unexpected in a beach community.

The pub has been open since September 1994 and it was a true Irishman, the late Desmond Michael Lynch of Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland that brought his dream to Jacksonville Beach. The webisite shares, “Des’s vision was to bring a taste of Ireland to Jacksonville and set about building up his business with hard work, determination and very little money! He brought much of the interior of the Pub to Florida in suitcases after trips home to Ireland, although he often had problems with customs officials when trying to explain why he had items such as a farmer’s plough, old cart wheels and Gaelic street signs in his possession
Nevertheless, Des wanted to make people feel as comfortable as possible in his establishment and went to great lengths when preparing his menu, beer selection and entertainment.”

We surely enjoyed the hospitality and found this a great place to take a moment sit back before heading out again. We may not have left a dollar behind, but we took memories and thoughts of those that left their wishes tagged for all to see. Log onto http://lynchsirishpub.com/ for details!