Old Port landmark pub with toucan mural may be demolished

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The company that bought the building that housed a landmark Irish pub in Portland’s Old Port neighborhood has applied for a demolition permit.

The pub Brian Boru closed in 2019 and the building was purchased by a subsidiary of the mutual insurance company MEMIC, the Portland Press Herald reported.

On June 2, the company applied for a demolition permit for the bright red building, which sits at the edge of the Old Port district surrounded by parking lots. City officials say they are awaiting additional information before approving the permit.

The outpost features a large mural on one side showing a toucan in flight with two pints of Guinness balanced on its beak.

MEMIC did not respond to questions from the newspaper about the company’s plan for the property.

“It’s hard to see something you put your heart, your mind and your money into – and done well – just torn down,” said Daniel Steele, the pub’s former owner. “It would be heartbreaking to see.”

MEMIC has purchased several parcels near the pub in the past ten years, the newspaper reported.

The building, which was originally four stories but is now only two, does not have historic protections despite dating back to the 1800s.