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About Rí Rá

About Rí Rá

Rí Rá comes from "Rí Rá agus Ruaile Buaile", a phrase translating roughly as divilment, good fun or any sociable activity that improves with fine food, a nice pint of Guinness or dram of Uisce Beatha (whiskey).

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About the pub

For more than 25 years, Rí Rá has been Portland’s truly authentic Irish Pub. Located in the Old Port, Rí Rá is spread over two floors, the upper floor offering stunning 180° views of Portland Harbor.

As you enter Rí Rá you can imagine yourself walking through a door that leads you back in time to the peaceful and cozy atmosphere of a traditional pub 100 hundred years ago in Ireland. When you visit Rí Rá you will feel as if you are going back in time, such is the ambiance of the pub. All of the pub interiors were salvaged and restored in Ireland and shipped to Portland. The pub is on two levels, with three distinct areas.

About the pub

The Shop Bar

A community gathering place

The first area is the traditional ‘shop pub’. For centuries, people throughout rural Ireland have gathered in these small cozy pubs. They served as the local grocer, post office, draper, pub and community gathering place.

The back bar and counter at Rí Rá were the centerpiece of a pub that opened its doors to the Irish public in the center of a small coastal town called Annagassin, Co. Louth in the early 1900’s. The bar counter also incorporates a small ‘snug’ at one end that is typical of a country shop pub. The entry doors from the street to the shop area were salvaged from the well-known ‘Langtons Pub of Kilkenny’. There is a very old pot belly stove from Spike Island Prison in Cobh, Co. Cork, ready to warm punters during Portland’s cold winter months.

The Shop Bar
The Shop Bar
The Shop Bar
Shop Bar in Rí Rá Irish Pub & Restaurant, 72 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101
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The Upstairs Bar

As you move to the upstairs area, take in the spectacular Waterfront views while enjoying a wonderful dining experience – the perfect location for parties and celebrations. ‘Rí Rá’ is Irish for fun and merriment. Our goal is to provide a fun dining experience in a unique atmosphere that appeals to all age groups. Rí Rá serves a full and varied lunch and dinner menu.

The Upstairs Bar
The Upstairs Bar
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The Victorian Bar

Commonly referred to as ‘The Local’, the pub is at the heart of every community in Ireland. We like to think that Rí Rá is the Irish Local in Portland, our adopted home. Whilst we are Irish in every way – from our accents and famous sense of fun to our world renowned hospitality – we are very much at the heart of the Portland community.

The Victorian Bar
The Victorian Bar
The Victorian Bar
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Rí Rá in the Community

Here at Rí Rá, we love to bring our sense of family to the community and enjoy being involved with local community groups to make our neighborhood a better place to live, work and socialize in.

We are particularly proud of our outreach work. We are heavily involved with local charities and try to give back to the community that so graciously welcomed us to the neighborhood. We host an annual event in March for the Firefighters Children’s Burns Foundation and the Portland Plunge benefitting the Portland Trails and Toys for Tots.

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Jobs and Training

Rí Rá is a busy and exciting place to work. We are always on the lookout for motivated Managers, Bartenders, Servers, Line Cooks and other hourly positions.

If you’re interested in working in a fun and highly rewarding atmosphere, with a great team, then email your resume to riraportland@rira.com.  Current open positions can also be found here!

For International inquiries regarding J-1 training opportunities with Rí Rá in the USA, please send an email to careers@rira.com for more details.

From Chef Kevin in the kitchen to Tara and Forest on the bar, we have a great staff so why not get to know them a bit better.