Hearty Irish fare and music are enjoyed at Castletown Geoghegan.
By Deborah Reinhardt Palmer

On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is just a wee bit Irish, but there’s a place in the southwestern Illinois town of Belleville where the food and music of Ireland are celebrated each day.

Top: A heaping platter of crisp Irish potato chips with cheese and bacon, plus a pint of Guinness, is a great start to an Irish meal at Castletown Geoghegan Pub and Restaurant in Belleville. Bottom: The pub is a gathering place for friends. Deborah Reinhardt Palmer photos

During a recent visit to Castletown Geoghegan (pronounced ga’ gen), the Gagen brothers–Ed and Tom–were preparing for another big St. Pat’s event that will include a parade, an Irish breakfast buffet, music and plenty of Guinness.

“We’ll do 10 days’ worth of business on St. Patrick’s Day,” said Ed Gagen, who owns the pub and restaurant with brothers Tom and Kevin.

The Gagens and friend Foz Ryan–a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians–started Belleville’s St. Patrick’s Day parade five years ago. There were about six units in the parade. “The joke was more people were in the parade than watching it,” Tom said. This year, there will be about 100 units in the parade, which steps off at 11 a.m. on March 15. Many parade-goers will stop by Castletown Geoghegan, located at 104 W. Main St., for the breakfast buffet that opens at 7 a.m. There will be Irish musicians, corned beef and cabbage, plenty of frothy Guinnesses, laughter and good times. That is, according to the Gagens, what an authentic Irish pub is all about.

A family’s living room

The brothers dreamed of opening an Irish pub. Their world travels often included the family ancestral land and in 1999, Tom and Kevin were in Ireland and visited the tiny town of Castletown in County of Westmeath. Their family can be traced to Castletown, with roots that go back 1,000 years. So naturally, they tipped a pint at the town’s prominent pub called Ned Claffey’s, which is now the “sister pub” of Castletown Geoghegan. The owners exchange letters, e-mails and photos.

During their travels, the Gagens noticed that true Irish pubs are a gathering place for families.

“Sometimes, there will be several generations of the same family in a pub. The men might tip a few pints while the kids are running around playing and the women play cards at a table in a corner,” Ed said.

“Understand that most Irish,” said Tom, “were so dirt poor, they lived in small houses without what we consider a living room or great room. A pub was the place you met your neighbors each night. We look at this (Castletown Geoghegan) as your living room.”

The other facet to an authentic pub is the music. It’s encouraged in Ireland and always present. Musicians will often just drop by to practice or play–often for no money, just a pint or two–for the patrons’ enjoyment.
At Castletown Geoghegan, patrons hear Irish music as soon as they enter the place. On weekends, the pub brings in live music–often traditional Irish musicians like The Irish Xiles, a family from Dublin now living in St. Louis. Tom said the group has told him they enjoy playing at Castletown Geoghegan because it’s the most authentic Irish pub in the area.

Indeed, the dark wood trim, tables and Windsor chairs, plus the mahogany bar that stretches 36 feet, add to the Irish ambiance of the place. The pub’s private room that can accommodate up to 70 diners will get an Irish design makeover after the St. Patrick’s Day crunch, according to Ed. An enhanced, elevated stage at the front of the pub is another project for this year.

Hearty fare from the Emerald Isle

With authentic music and ambiance, the food would have to be good. Diners looking for a bit of Ireland will not be disappointed, and patrons who want a more American menu will be pleased as well.

Start the meal with a heaping platter of chips generously drizzled with cheese sauce and sprinkled with bacon bits. The platter, paired with a properly poured pint of stout, make a good beginning to your Irish meal. Order either the shepherd’s pie or Irish stew, and top off your meal with the Irish bread pudding topped with a whiskey sauce. If you can get up from the table after that meal, ‘tis no doubt you’re worthy of becoming a regular at Castletown Geoghegan.

Diners with less of an appetite can choose one of the homemade soups made daily, paired with a dinner salad, or split one of the hearty sandwiches, such as Rueben or a corned beef on rye. There are also burgers, dinner entrees of pork, chicken and seafood. Daily specials may include a new Irish dish. On my visit, the evening menu included Dingle seafood pie–chunks of cod with mussels, shrimp and clams in a white sauce, topped with thinly sliced potatoes and a pastry crust.

Whether you visit on St. Pat’s or anytime thereafter, Castletown Geoghegan will welcome you with 100,000 welcomes (cead mile failte), hearty food and lively entertainment.

Before you go

For more information, call (618) 233-4800 or visit www.ctgpub.com. Street parking (metered) is available on Main, First and Second streets. Don’t feed the meter in the evening or on weekends. Free public lots are at the corner of First and A streets, or between West Main and A streets.

Castletown Geoghegan is open from 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m.–1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed on Sunday.

Tom Gagen demonstrates the proper way to pull a pint of stout while brother Ed looks on. Deborah Reinhardt Palmer photo

Good food and drink is one of Tom Gagen’s passions. When asked how a pint of Guinness should be poured by the bartender, he was only too pleased to share his thoughts.

First, the tulip glass should be well washed, rinsed the air dried. The glass, Tom said, should never be chilled for a Guinness. Next, the beer, which comes from Ireland, should have the right mixture of CO2 and nitrogen on the tap, so when it’s pushed through, the creamy head will more easily form. Finally, a Guinness is poured in two pulls of the tap. The first pull fills the glass about 2/3 full. The bartender then sets the glass aside for one or two minutes so the beer can rest and turn its dark color. Top the glass off with the remainder of the beer and frothy head. And that’s the perfect chilled and poured pint of Irish stout.

But wouldn’t patrons become impatient with these steps?

“If you have a pure Guinness drinker, he’ll know,” Tom said.

Other bar tips for St. Pat’s:

• a “black and tan” is a pint poured with half Guinness and half Bass (an English beer)
• a “half and half” is made with Harp and Guinness
• most important: do not drink and drive. Enjoy these fine beers in moderation and if necessary, bring along a designated driver or call a cab.