Blarney Station holds official grand opening

WARWICK - Although it had its “soft opening” way back in August, it was not until Dec. 17, that John and Lisa O’Connell, owners of Blarney Station, a new pub and restaurant at 10 Railroad Ave., in Warwick, decided to have an official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. The well attended event, which included Village and Town officials along with representatives of the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce and its Merchant Guild, was held in the bar area with traditional Irish music playing in the background. It also coincided with a brand new and expanded menu recently introduced after several months of observing customer preferences. Blarney Station, the former home of Ten Railroad Avenue, specializes in homemade Irish faire such as O’Connell’s corned beef and cabbage, Guinness Lamb Stew’so Bucco and the classic Shepherd’s Pie. The expanded menu is several pages long and ranges from soups to hearty dishes to lighter faire including burgers and sandwiches. And the bar, naturally, serves pints of Guinness on tap. John O’Connell is a native of County Kerry in the West of Ireland. He came to the United States in 1986 and began working in the bar business in the Bronx and Queens boroughs of New York City. He and his wife, Lisa, whom he met in this country, previously owned the Blarney Stone Restaurant on 32nd Street in Manhattan. “We used to be weekend residents in Warwick,” said Lisa O’Connell, “And now we are happy to be here all the time and to welcome all our neighbors to Blarney Station.” For additional information or reservations call 986-1509.