7. McSorley’s Was “Men’s Only” Until 1970

Photo by Berenice Abbott via Wikimedia Commons: NYPL Digital Collections

McSorley’s was one of the last men’s only businesses in New York until 1970, when it lost a discrimination suit on June 26th of that year. Even after being forced to let women in, it wasn’t until 1986, 16 years later, that the bar installed a ladies restroom. Old John believed that men were incapable of drinking in peace with women around.

In fact, Dorothy O’Connell Kirwan, who owned the bar from 1940 until 1974, never entered the bar during business hours, even after it allowed female customers. The first woman to work behind the bar was Teresa Maher de la Haba in 1994. She is the daughter of Matthew Maher, who was a night manager at McSorley’s and eventually went on to purchase the establishment from the Kirwan’s son, Danny.