by Tom Deignan

FOR months, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has been telling New Yorkers that the Republican National Convention, which kicks off next Monday, August 30, will be a boost for city businesses.

Don’t tell that to Cork native James Hickey, who runs Hickey’s bar on 33rd Street, in the shadow of Madison Square Garden, where the convention will be held.

“It’s a total disaster for us,” Hickey told the Irish Voice. “It’s going to kill us. Most of my customers are taking that whole week off.” 

Nearly a dozen Irish bars and restaurants are clustered in the shadow of Madison Square Garden. Most owners and operators are not quite as pessimistic as Hickey.

Most believe it will be good for business, though admit that there are related factors which concern them.

“It’s going to be okay,” said Helen Woods, a manager at Tir na Nog on Eighth Avenue and 33rd Street. Woods is expecting a surge in business, largely from the media as well as work crews at the Garden.

Tir na Nog is located in the so-called “frozen zone” close to the Garden. Workers at Tir na Nog have had to take part in a series of intense security measures. And even Woods admits that deliveries could become a hassle when the convention kicks off.

Still, though she initially had some questions about the economic impact of the convention, Woods now believes it will be a plus for business.

Such sentiments were captured in interviews with numerous other Irish business owners and operators near Madison Square Garden.

Wexford native Artie Byrne, who owns The Blarney Stone on 32nd Street near the Garden, initially thought the convention would hurt business. He noted that in 1992 the Democratic convention was not only a hassle, but was also a bust at the cash register.

But Byrne now believes, if you will, that the economic pint glass is half full.

“I think it’s gonna be good for us,” said Byrne, whose outlook is brightened by the fact that 32nd Street will be turned into a pedestrian mall during the convention, providing plenty of foot traffic.

As all businesses located near Madison Square Garden have been required to do, Byrne and his staff have had to take part in security precautions. Blarney Stone workers had to have their pictures taken for special identification cards. To Byrne, however, the security requirements were “no big deal.” 

Clare native Martin O’Shea, who owns the Triple Crown on Seventh Avenue, agrees, and is also looking forward to an increase in business.

“It will be a big help for us. There’s gonna be 50,000 people in the area,” he said.

O’Shea says he expects his lunch business to take a hit, what with so many other area workers expected to go on vacation or work from home. He also has had to shuffle his delivery schedule like most other businesses in the area. At the same time, however, O’Shea already has booked a number of parties linked to the convention.

Still, those Irish business owners concerned about the economic impact of the convention may have reason to be. And even those who are looking forward to extra business during the three-day convention admit that preparations have been difficult.

“The thing that annoys me is that the Garden has been closed,” said Tir na Nog manager Helen Woods.

Indeed, work crews, police and other officials have shut down the Garden for two months. That means no concerts, no professional sporting events or other crowds who might be hungry or thirsty after an event.

“It is true, that did hurt us,” the Blarney Stone’s Artie Byrne added, referring to the extended closure of the Garden.

Meanwhile, signs suggest that the Democratic convention in Boston was an economic bust. Earlier this month The Beacon Hill Institute, a research organization, reported that the convention brought in under $15 million of economic activity. Convention boosters had been suggesting Boston would see a $150 million spending spree. 

Some officials in Boston have disputed the study’s findings, and the study’s authors have said New York is in position to perform better than Boston did economically.

“New York is going to come out ahead,” the study’s author told The New York Times, “unless there is a disaster of some kind. The wild card is the threat of terrorism, and there is a wild card around protests.”

Indeed, this is something else for Irish business owners located near Madison Square Garden have to think about — a terror attack, or protesters getting out of control.

But Irish business operators say they are not very worried about this. They give high praise to the NYPD and other city officials for making security a priority.

“I’m not worried in the least,” Byrne said. “I think this will be the safest place in world to be.”

“That’s beyond my control,” added Triple Crown’s O’Shea. “The cops know the area well. I’ll say this: the protesters should be ashamed of themselves. This the president of the United States in town.” 

Even critics of the convention say they are not too worried about security.

“There’s a lot of cops around,” James Hickey, from Hickey’s said. “I’m not too worried.”

For all the high points city officials have earned for security, however, the question of the convention’s economic impact remains an open one.

City officials have said the convention could pump over $250 million into New York City’s traditionally sluggish summer economy. Now, however, officials have suggested the figure might be lower, and they have acknowledged that some businesses — particularly high-end ones — may do better than others.

Irish bar owners near the Garden seemed to echo that sentiment.

“Maybe it’ll be good for the higher-end restaurants,” said Hickey, whose bar, an classic, earthy blue collar place, has been in business for four decades.

Even convention booster O’Shea admitted with a laugh, “Well, I wish I could predict the future. I’d be a lot better off.” 

Meanwhile, even if the convention goes off without a problem, and the cash registers at Irish businesses are full, there’s more for business owners near the Garden to fret about.

“Next we have to worry about the (National Hockey League) strike with the Rangers,” Byrne said, referring to the hockey team which calls the Garden home.

(Contact Sidewalks at tdeignan@sidewalks.com)