Yahoo News Manchester institution reopens as Irish bar with live music, cheap pints and £2 cocktails
Greg Dwyer and Joseph Finegan have spent a lot of time on New Wakefield Street in Manchester City Centre. Having run and worked at a number of bars and gigs venues in the area around Oxford Road, their latest project feels almost serendipitous.
It was January 2023 when legendary bar, The Font, announced its shock closure after more than 20 years, with owners citing the pandemic and the cost of living crisis as some of the reasons behind the decision. Mancunians called it the 'end of an era' and were left 'gutted' at the thought that the bar's £3 cocktails would be confined to the history books.
But this week, the iconic venue reopens its doors - albeit under a new guise - and with a homage to those much-loved cocktails. Mother Mary's, an Irish bar and gig venue, takes over the former site, and it's owners are keen to pick up where The Font left off, while also becoming the go-to spot for new and upcoming artists and DJs.
Greg and Joseph have teamed up with fellow nightlife veteran Chris Sharp to bring the new bar and gig venue to life, and say they're keen to create a 'homely' atmosphere where people can come by any time of the day, whether for breakfast, a drink or to listen to live music.
The three owners have more than 25 years of hospitality experience behind them, and say Mother Mary’s takes its inspiration from Ireland and the USA and aims to be something that is authentic and fun.
Greg tours with some of the world's biggest bands and regularly delivers events at nightclubs and live venues across Manchester, and Joe is a recognisable face in the local music scene thanks to his work with Gorilla and The Deaf Institute. Chris is also the owner and operator of live music venue The Fleece in Bristol.
“Myself and Greg have known each other a long time, worked together and run various venues in the city," says Joseph, fresh from a soft launch event last night. "But, we always wanted to do our our own thing, so when Font closed and it became available we thought it was worth a go.
“When we looked into the area a bit more, we found out that a lot of Irish people settled here back in the 1800s and it was called Little Ireland, there’s a plaque just down the road about it too. An Irish bar in Little Ireland felt like a good thing to do.”
Joseph, who is of Irish heritage says he declined his dad's request to name the bar Finegans, instead landing on Mother Mary's, a name the co-founders believe captures the spirit of the lively but welcoming Irish bars found in Derry, but also across the pond in New York and Boston that they have visited.
"Bars in Derry feel like destination places where you can sit all day and feel like your home," adds Greg, who spends his time between Manchester and Ireland.
“It’s clawing back that bar culture," he says, explaining the impact of Covid-19 and Cost-of-Living crisis on the city's bar scene too. "I think partly because of the pandemic there’s this culture of lets be seated and served at the table.
"But then people go from place to place, but we want people to stay and for the place to feel busy, a bit like Font always did because of the great upstairs and downstairs element they had. I’ve spent a lot of time in New York and Boston and places like that and the culture is encouraged.”
Creating a buzz with their new bar and gig venue, the co-founders have invested in a bespoke KV2 sound system, as well as a state-of-the-art lighting system used to illuminate the two stages. They're working closely with local promoters, festival organisers and Manchester City Council to make sure they're putting on a range of acts and events too.
"We're going to have a nice mix of traditional Irish events upstairs, while downstairs will be more local artists, promoters and grassroots music on show," says Joseph. "We're looking at open mic events, comedy shows and after parties too."
Anyone who passed The Font threshold will remember the cocktails, especially for their price-busting prices. Mother Mary's is picking up this mantle by trying to keep things as affordable as possible for customers. “We’ve really tried to keep the cost for people so keeping a Guinness at £5, and keeping the magic alive with the £2 'The Font' cocktail too," adds Joseph."
The venue will serve up a range of beers, wines, ciders and craft ales, as well as a dedicated cocktail menu with a number of offers available throughout the day. A 2 for £12 offer on classic cocktails includes Mary's Irish Coffee with Jamesons, brown sugar and triple whipped cream; Berry Girl encompassing frozen strawberries, white rum and crushed lime; and Finegan's wake with Khalua, vodka, sugar syrup and espresso.
Mother Mary's have also worked with Franciscan Well Brewery & Brewpub based out of Cork on their beer lines, and the team are also planning their own lager and stout. There's also a range of non-alcoholic options spanning alcohol-free beers and stouts like Guinness, Schofferhofer, Lucky Saint and Big Drop, plus a range of mocktails.
In addition, the venue are also serving up an impressive food menu headed up by chef Andrew James, who has also fronted Stockport's pie shop Ate Days a Week and Blackbird Brewhouse and Kitchen. The new menus feature all-day breakfasts, brunch and a ‘show-stopping’ Sunday roast.
On the brunch menu, visitors can try the corned beef bagel, boxtys with butter and sour cream , a wild boar hotdog and halloumi hand-rolled flatbread. The Sunday roast meanwhile includes a pie roast dinner with roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables and a Yorkshire pudding, with options such as triple-cooked chips and rosti chips available as add-ons.
“Mother Mary’s is all about providing a space for grassroots live music,” Greg says of the new venue. “I started going out around here, I was in here all the time and I was even fortunate enough to play records here a long time ago, so this is an unbelievable opportunity and to do it with two good friends that I’ve met along the way is incredible.
“We will be taking good care of the former Font site. The three of us have a wealth of experience and a bunch of ideas to make this a sustainable live music venue. Our tagline for Mother Mary’s is strangely familiar: we are a home away from home."
The venue will be open seven days a week from 10am until late. Mother Mary's, 7-9 New Wakefield St, Manchester M1 5NP.
