901 East Fortification Street
Guinness Tag: Unknown (find out below) | Overall Rating: 7.05
A nostalgic Pub that opened its doors in the late 90's with a name that originates from a legendary band of warriors led by Finn McCool who revolted against the British in the late 1800's. Legend has it... Finn was a giant who possessed all the knowledge of the world. It's said that he lives beneath Dublin and will awake from his slumber in Ireland's most dire hour of need. What's crazy is that Fenian's Pub lives atop of the extinct Jackson Volcano! Now that's quite something to sip to!
Anyone with a wheelchair might be out of luck as the entrance to the place lays upon a staircase. As you enter the building you are hit with an old choo-choo train set up along the ceilings along with some very unique wall decor. The atmosphere gives you a very cozy feel and nostalgic charm.
There's a neat phonebooth in the back along with a very old fireplace. The bar itself is a horseshoe style counter that manages to transform into 2 bars in itself. The Pub essentially has two rooms. The front room offers board games, a Nintendo, and some tables while the back room provides a cozy booth, the tiny toiletries, and some space for live folk music and even Irish Dancing. The bathrooms contain quite the grimy touch. They also provide a nice patio out front that overlooks the neighboring area that offers a great spot for a smoke.
The entire place contains quite the amount of patina, however, you could say that the "patina" is beginning to turn into careless upkeep. The Pub could certainly use some TLC... perhaps a LOT of TLC. There are cords hanging from many places, the ceiling is falling apart, there's a handful of interesting clutter, and some of the decor is caked with dust. The dustiness and grime certainly don't give a traveling patron from out of town a good impression on the state of Mississippi. Let's face it; not many citizens in America have high expectations when they think of Mississippi.
The bar itself offers an average selection of whiskey with an average selection of beer. One big stinker about the place is that almost all of their keg lines were down and it appears that it wasn't a problem that originated from earlier in the day. No Guinness this time around so there's no telling how they pour a pint, how much they charge for it, or if it even comes in an actual pint (some American spots pour their Guinness in 16oz glasses).
If you are traveling through Jackson, MS and you're a craic addict then I advise you to make the pit-stop. You can find a quick hot snack, have some friendly conversations with the locals, learn a few things, and maybe even enjoy some fun folk music like we did. All in all, Fenian's provides a cozy place to kill a few hours despite not having a dart board. Don't spend an entire day to get here but if you're in town; give it a try!
Slainte!
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