John Brady and Charlie Taylor opened the Old Shillelagh in February of 1975. It was an immediate success. Charlie, a singer, brought in his fans, and John who had lived part of his boyhood in Dublin, kept the place oiled and running. Later that year they exercised their option to buy the building and immediately began remodeling the second floor.

On Parade Sunday 1976, the upstairs officially opened. That same year Charlie sold his half of the business to John, who then brought in his wife Marlis to help him and the success story continued.

In February o f 1977, fire almost destroyed the building. The downstairs was in ruin but the upstairs survived with only smoke damage. Before St. Patrick's Day, the Old Shillelagh had reopened using just the upstairs. It woud be almost a year before the downstairs was repaired and reopened.

In 1986, John and Marlis Brady decided to retire and sold the business to their daughter Barbara who had years of experience working for them. The following St. Patrick's Day Barbara put up huge tents on the adjacent parking lots and thus began "The World's Biggest St. Patrick's Day Party".

In 2005, in time for the 30th Anniversary, Barbara made her daughter Shellie and Becky, managers and now a third generation runs the daily operation of the Old Shillelagh.