One of Beach Drive’s longest-running institutions is stepping into a new future. Courigan’s Irish Pub, located at 1 Beach Drive, has sold to new ownership, with the transition expected to begin soon. We expect that the pub itself, at the corner of 1st Avenue South and Beach Drive, will remain as Courigan’s for at least the short term, just under new ownership. After all, St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner – a great time to be one of only two Irish pubs downtown. However, the long term future is bit more uncertain, at least for now, and these may very well be the last days and weeks for Beach Drive's only pub. As so much of downtown and Beach Drive has changed over the nearly two decades since Courigan’s opened – and especially in the last several years – owner Sam Martin was the steady hand guiding the beloved watering hole through all of St. Pete’s stages of growth. Now, the retired Air Force vet is stepping away – the beginning of new roads for Hunt and Courigan’s alike. ...