By Robert Brum | Featured in LoHud.com
One can feel the ghostly presence of innkeepers past as one descends the steep steps into the centuries-old cellar.
The glass door bears an inscription of the tavern’s name, Clarksville Inn, over the words “kept secret.”
Kieran O’Gorman is hopeful the ghosts are friendly and the inn’s latest revival won’t be kept secret for long.
O’Gorman, a resident of Sparkill by way of Limerick, Ireland, is the latest proprietor in the fabled inn’s history. Since February, he and his wife, Kim, have been restoring the wood-and-brick interior into what shall become the 1840 Tavern at Clarksville Inn.
The O’Gormans hope to have the two-room tavern serving burgers, shepherd’s pie and Guinness draught come early October — the first time it’s been open since a New Year’s Eve 2017 fire destroyed the kitchen area and caused smoke damage elsewhere.
“It’s a great location and I’ve been meeting so many people, they’re kind of crying out for this spot to be restored,” Kieran O’Gorman said one late August morning. “People come from far and wide …It’s legendary.”