The oldest Irish bar in Delaware

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Established in 1864 and owned by the Kelly family since 1889, Kelly’s Logan House is proud of our legendary heritage and service to the community. We are the oldest Irish Bar in Delaware and the oldest continuously family-owned Irish tavern in America. The Logan House owes its name to General John A. Logan, a famous Union Army General who, among other achievements, instituted Memorial Day. A National Historic Site, it has been the hub for St. Patrick’s Day for 160 years.

Built in 1864, the Logan House was originally constructed as a resort hotel to be the center of activity in the neighborhood. Travelers would frequently stop by from the nearby railroad station for a meal or drink and then stay for the night. Guests of the Logan House included Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickock, John L. Sullivan, and Al Capone. Some more recent customers of the Logan House include Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, original Beatles drummer Pete Best, and Ryan Phillippe.

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On September 4, 1889, John D. “Whiskers” Kelly and his wife, Hannah Kelleher Kelly, purchased the Logan House. LoHo served as a tavern, hotel, and residence for the Kellys. All five of Whiskers’ and Hannah’s children were born in the building. Whiskers took particular pride in helping any and all Irish immigrants arriving from the train station across the street.

Kelly’s Logan House is now in its fifth generation of Kelly family ownership. John D. Kelly III, former New Castle County Sheriff and Register in Chancery, managed the Logan House with his sparkling comic and generous personality for decades. After his death in 2003, Michael P. Kelly Sr. and Mary Ann Kelly MacDonald owned the bar, continuing John D. III’s legacy of effervescence. Michael P. Kelly balanced ownership of the family tavern with his dedication to being a loving father, husband, and friend and his successful legal career until his passing in 2022. Now, Joanna Kelly and Michael Patrick Kelly Jr. own the family business.