Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Archer avenue, running just North of Moraine Valley, is arguably the most haunted road in the region, and the Irish Legend Pub adds to this haunted reputation. Located across the street from the site of the old Oh Henry Ballroom of Resurrection Mary fame, the Irish Legend has its own ghost stories adding to the lore of Archer Avenue.
The bar itself is located in a kind of tucked away area between the Cook County Forest Preserves, the Des Plaines River and the forgotten landscape of the I&M Canal. The area is in the midst of the Chicago suburbs but it feels geographically remote and out of time.
LIke many ghost stories, those of the Irish legend draw on a confluence of local history. Legend has it that this site was the home of a Potawatomi village and (of course) a Potawatomi burial ground. The stories recall that French fur traders were the first Europeans through the area bringing about the eventual end to the Naive American holy grounds. There is no doubt that the geography of the area was shaped by the industrial explosion of the 19th and 20th century with the construction of the canal by Irish, Polish, German, and Italian immigrants. During prohibition, this area was infamous for speakeasies and gambling joints. It is even purported that Al Capone himself was a frequent visitor.
With all of this overlapping history, The Irish Legend has multiple stories of hauntings and paranormal activity. Ghost hunters who have studied this structure report floating orbs of light, bottles and glasses moving across tables when no one is around, chairs tipping over for no reason, and unexplained noises and voices.
One ghost story involves a 1920s gangster who caught his girlfriend having an affair with a bartender. The granster murdered the two lovers but their spirits never left. Another story involves a little boy whose spirit was trapped in the building. And yet, another story is that of a witch who drew upon the spirits within the earth to place a curse upon a former owner of the building. Ghost hunters report witnessing the visage of a bloody woman in the basement near an old furnace. Could this be Resurrection Mary stopping by for a visit?
The Irish Legend’s location pulls us back into bygone years bringing the imagination to life. We can seemingly catch a glimpse of a time before European settlement in the nearby forest preserves. At the same time, the industrialization of the canal is close at hand with a hint of gangsters and bootlegging. This is the kind of place where stories of forgotten people meeting violent and desperate ends feel right at home in this hidden away corner of Chicagoland.
Sources:
Edward Shanahan, “The Irish Legend - (Willow Springs, IL)”, Haunted Illinois, https://m.hauntedillinois.com/realhauntedplaces/the-irish-legend.php
Haunted Chicago History & Hauntings of the Windy City by Troy Taylor
Morris, Jeff and Vince Sheilds. Chicago Haunted Handbook. Clerisy Press, 2013.
Archer avenue, running just North of Moraine Valley, is arguably the most haunted road in the region, and the Irish Legend Pub adds to this haunted reputation. Located across the street from the site of the old Oh Henry Ballroom of Resurrection Mary fame, the Irish Legend has its own ghost stories adding to the lore of Archer Avenue.
The bar itself is located in a kind of tucked away area between the Cook County Forest Preserves, the Des Plaines River and the forgotten landscape of the I&M Canal. The area is in the midst of the Chicago suburbs but it feels geographically remote and out of time.
LIke many ghost stories, those of the Irish legend draw on a confluence of local history. Legend has it that this site was the home of a Potawatomi village and (of course) a Potawatomi burial ground. The stories recall that French fur traders were the first Europeans through the area bringing about the eventual end to the Naive American holy grounds. There is no doubt that the geography of the area was shaped by the industrial explosion of the 19th and 20th century with the construction of the canal by Irish, Polish, German, and Italian immigrants. During prohibition, this area was infamous for speakeasies and gambling joints. It is even purported that Al Capone himself was a frequent visitor.
With all of this overlapping history, The Irish Legend has multiple stories of hauntings and paranormal activity. Ghost hunters who have studied this structure report floating orbs of light, bottles and glasses moving across tables when no one is around, chairs tipping over for no reason, and unexplained noises and voices.
One ghost story involves a 1920s gangster who caught his girlfriend having an affair with a bartender. The granster murdered the two lovers but their spirits never left. Another story involves a little boy whose spirit was trapped in the building. And yet, another story is that of a witch who drew upon the spirits within the earth to place a curse upon a former owner of the building. Ghost hunters report witnessing the visage of a bloody woman in the basement near an old furnace. Could this be Resurrection Mary stopping by for a visit?
The Irish Legend’s location pulls us back into bygone years bringing the imagination to life. We can seemingly catch a glimpse of a time before European settlement in the nearby forest preserves. At the same time, the industrialization of the canal is close at hand with a hint of gangsters and bootlegging. This is the kind of place where stories of forgotten people meeting violent and desperate ends feel right at home in this hidden away corner of Chicagoland.
Sources:
Edward Shanahan, “The Irish Legend - (Willow Springs, IL)”, Haunted Illinois, https://m.hauntedillinois.com/realhauntedplaces/the-irish-legend.php
Haunted Chicago History & Hauntings of the Windy City by Troy Taylor
Morris, Jeff and Vince Sheilds. Chicago Haunted Handbook. Clerisy Press, 2013.
