Johnny Foley, Irish Tenor Who Gave His Name to a Union Square Pub, Dies at 94
Johnny Foley's Irish House said Foley died Saturday. Born May 28, 1932, he arrived in New York from Ireland in the late 1950s and was known in San Francisco for his tenor and rebel songs. The pub at 243 O'Farrell Street opened in 1998.
By the Bay Area Brief staff · Edited by Seamus McKenna · · 3 min read
Johnny Foley, the Irish tenor whose name is on one of San Francisco's best-known Irish pubs, has died at 94. He died Saturday, according to an announcement from Johnny Foley's Irish House, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The Union Square-area pub described him as an "icon within our San Francisco Irish community" and said he had been part of its extended family. Foley was born May 28, 1932, according to the announcement. He arrived in New York by ship from Ireland in the late 1950s before making his way west. In San Francisco he became associated with the city's counterculture and the Summer of Love, and was known for his tenor and his affection for rebel songs, the pub said.
Martin and Mary Connolly, immigrants from County Cork, opened Johnny Foley's Irish House at 243 O'Farrell St. in 1998. The bar remains a downtown fixture, with a main bar and a downstairs Cellar that hosts dueling pianos and other live entertainment, the Chronicle reported.
Sources
This article is an original summary based on the following reporting. We encourage readers to visit the original sources for full coverage.
The day's Bay Area housing, business and neighborhood news, plus the world headlines that matter, in one short email. Free, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
We use your email only to send the Brief. Details in our privacy policy.
SFMade opened its first permanent store Tuesday at 373 Geary Street in Union Square, featuring work from more than 100 Bay Area makers and a retail-training program for local manufacturers.
San Francisco crypto company Ripple Labs gave $5 million toward President Trump's White House ballroom, part of $330 million in contributions disclosed by The Washington Post. Its executive chairman, Chris Larsen, is a major Democratic donor in SF politics.
Nordstrom announced Thursday, Oct. 15, that it will open a 51,500-square-foot Nordstrom Rack at 2 Stockton St., at Stockton and Market near Union Square, in fall 2027. It is the retailer's return to downtown San Francisco after its Westfield anchor store and Market Street Rack both closed in 2023.
