# @ilovetheburg on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/Cocs2KnpxeP
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/4028673-ilovetheburg-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/4802aea1d6.jpg
- **Posted:** 2023-02-09T16:31:51.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** I Love the Burg! (@iLovetheBurg) — https://gondola.cc/iLovetheBurg

## Caption

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.

Whatever the future may hold, the news brings with it an excellent opportunity to celebrate a St. Pete staple. For those interested, a group of old Courigan’s regulars and staff are organizing something of an impromptu party in honor of Martin, Courigan’s, and the pub’s history tonight, Thursday the 9th. 

With more and more of the longtime locals haunts shuttering, patronizing the ones we have left is more important than ever. And Courigan’s certainly stands out as one that took an earlier chance than most on downtown, survived some hard years in the Florida economy, and emerged as a favorite for locals even before St. Pete’s boom.

Full story for #ilovetheburg by bobcarskadon at the link in our bio.

#dtsp #irishpubs #drinklocal #eatlocal #beachdrive #stpete #stpetersburg #slainte #igersstpete #instaburg #tampabay

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 421
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- **Comments:** 14

## Tags

slainte, instaburg, drinklocal, tampabay, eatlocal, beachdrive, igersstpete, stpete, irishpubs, ilovetheburg, stpetersburg, dtsp

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