News
The Stories Of T.J. McMahon Live Again At The Dublin House
By John Burton
RED BANK - It was a day that would have done T.J. McMahon proud.
An eclectic mix of friends on Sunday came to the Dublin House pub and restaurant, 30 Monmouth Street, to fondly remember and toast the memory of the beloved and gently eccentric local historian and to celebrate the dedication of what will now be known as the T. J. McMahon Room at the Dublin House, where McMahon worked for many years.
McMahon, who passed away in Nov. 2005 at 64, had been a regular columnist for The Two River Times™ since the weekly newspaper was founded in 1990, detailing the area's historical lore and offering little-known anecdotes about times past in the two river area. McMahon served as Fair Haven's official historian for many years and was a life member of Preservation Red Bank, a local grassroots group which advocates for preserving historically significant structures in the borough. He also lectured regularly at Brookdale Community College, Middletown, and gave slide shows and talks about local history to community groups in the area.
McMahon had worked at the Dublin House since the local Irish pub was established in 1992, serving as a sort of jack-of-all-trades for the popular spot.
Last Sunday, Preservation Red Bank presented its first Spirit of Red Bank Award to Dublin House owners Eugene Devlin and Sean Dunne in recognition of the owners' decision to dedicate a room in the old Victorian house that is home to the pub, in honor of McMahon.
The T. J. McMahon room was sprinkled with remembrances of McMahon who was truly a walking encyclopedia on Red Bank, his native Fair Haven and their neighboring towns.
McMahon would regale anyone with his tales, given the listener had the time to listen, as one after another of those who knew him, noted McMahon's tendency to tell long stories. Vincent Gallagher, who originally hails from Ireland and now lives in Fair Haven, noted, "I had the pleasure of being held hostage to Tim's history tales, especially about the history of the (Dublin) house, on a few occasions."
When McMahon would begin a story, Gallagher recalled, "Don't expect it to tie back in after five minutes," But tie in, it did, eventually, Gallagher noted. "Maybe it would take an hour."
"He was quite the storyteller," offered Dunne. "Given you had the hour to listen."
Former Mayor Edward J. McKenna Jr. told of meeting McMahon when McKenna was about 12, and McKenna's brother and McMahon were going to build a backyard shed for the McKenna family.
It appeared that McMahon was more interested in doing the work than in what he would be paid for his efforts.
"He never cared about money; it was all about life," and McMahon would bestow life lessons in his work, McKenna recalled fondly.
"He just had the most beautiful way about him," McKenna said. "He just cared about people and how history played a role in their lives."
Tim was interested in historic preservation, but, "not only the building in the street," but for its personality and the character it represents, said Preservation Red Bank President Joel Iverson.
"Now, due to the efforts of the pub's owners, "Tim's character and personality would be preserved," Iverson said.
Along with his own comments, Iverson read a letter from former Red Bank Mayor and former state Supreme Court Justice Daniel J. O'Hern, who wrote: "I loved Tim. He was a two-river area treasure."
Devlin told of a time when McMahon was telling, with the hint of a lilting - and mysterious - Irish brogue, the long and involved history of the Dublin House building to a customer. Afterwards, the customer asked McMahon what county he hailed from, believing the historian was from Ireland. "I'm from Monmouth County, sir," McMahon replied. The child of Irish immigrants, McMahon was born and raised in Fair Haven.
In recognition of McMahon's contributions, state Senator Jennifer Beck (R-!2) presented a formal Legislative proclamation, with Beck calling McMahon, "A man of service." The recently renovated room named in the storyteller's honor contains memorabilia of McMahon's life, including photos, framed and hung on the walls; examples of his extensive picture postcard collection, featuring Red Bank landmarks, dating back more than a century; and a copy of McMahon's 1964 self-published book, The Golden Age of Monmouth County Shore: 1864-1914.
"Even though Timmy is no longer with us," Dunne said. "He will always be part of the Dublin House."
Dunne and Devlin, who are both originally from Ireland, purchased the Dublin House in 2004 and have been renovating the more than 150-year-old structure for more than three years. The renovation of the historically significant structure has been acknowledged by Preservation Red Bank and the Red Bank Historic Preservation Commission, with the commission's chairman, George Bowden, calling it, "an asset here in Red Bank."
"I think it was a job well done," Bowden said.
The renovation project is expected to resume in January and to be completed before March 17 - St. Patrick's Day, Devlin said.
