\u201cWe have a lot of work to do,\u201d said Scott Prince, one of the partners in the venture. \u201cBut so far, the experience has been really great. I\u2019m very hopeful that our vision will become a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prince, 40, knows his way around a bar; he\u2019s poured drinks at The Banshee in Dorchester for the past eight years. Before that, he lived on Mission Hill and worked at another neighborhood staple, the Puddingstone Tavern.<\/p>\n
The original Flann O\u2019Brien\u2019s, known for its rusting statue<\/a> of its Irish poet namesake (since auctioned off<\/a>), closed in December 2020<\/a> after being open since at least the early 1990s. But Prince said his memories of it are still strong.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a place where you kind of got lost in,\u201d he said. \u201cYou would go in for a brunch, right, and you\u2019re hanging out, you\u2019re watching whatever, and before you know it, it\u2019s 6 o\u2019clock.\u201d<\/p>\n That getaway feel is \u201ckind of what we want\u201d to bring back, he said. <\/p>\n Prince said that after he found out that Yellow Door was closing, he brought the idea of bringing Flann\u2019s back to Ray Butler and Michael Vaughan, who run The Banshee as well as Brick & Beam Tavern in Quincy. Butler and Vaughan agreed to partner with Prince to resurrect the bar, which they too had frequented in the 1990s. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was nostalgic to them, so it was kind of the perfect opportunity for all of us,\u201d Prince said. \u201cWhen that opportunity came up, you know, we kind of pounced on it.\u201d<\/p>\n Since Flann\u2019s heyday, Mission Hill has seen plenty of change. But Prince said the bar will reflect both the old and the new.<\/p>\n \u201cFlann\u2019s brought a ton of people together,\u201d he said. \u201cYou would get Irish immigrants, hospital workers, college kids, Mission Hill [locals]. It was just a place where people from all walks of life would come and hang out. That\u2019s the biggest thing. If we can get back to that, I think that\u2019d be a great success for us.\u201d<\/p>\n Prince said the owners are working to secure a liquor license; a prospective transfer is slated for review<\/a> before the city\u2019s licensing board on June 24. <\/p>\n If all goes well, he said, the pub will be ready to reopen by the end of the year.<\/p>\n By staying in the bar\u2019s original location, Flann O\u2019Brien\u2019s will be opening just down the street from Puddingstone Tavern. But Prince said he isn\u2019t trying to push out his old stomping ground; on the contrary, he had nothing but praise for the Puddingstone and its owner, Harry Walsh.<\/p>\n \u201cLearning from Harry is [learning] how to run a restaurant, but also be a great person,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that he kind of embodies what Mission Hill\u2019s about. Obviously, there will be a little bit of competition, but I think at the end of the day it\u2019s healthy for Mission Hill and for all the restaurants in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq<\/a> and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n