The former Brian Boru building, located at 57 Center Street in Portland, Maine is at risk of being demolished. The potential demolition of the building would be another loss to the historical and cultural history of the Portland peninsula. 

The building dates to the 1880s, having been built after the Great Fire of 1866. This area was then known as the Gorham's Corner neighborhood and was home to a large Irish immigrant population. The building originally operated as a saloon between the 1880s and 1890s and then as numerous pubs and cigar shops between the 1900s and 1920s. From 1914-15 the building was run by Tommy Catterson, a famous baseball player in New England, being a member of the Brooklyn Nationals, the Brockton, Lawrence, and Fall River clubs, and the Holy Name Society of Portland. 

The building operated as Brian Boru from the mid-1990s and was a local hub for drinks, live music and St. Patrick's Day festivities. The exterior features a painted mural of the swooping Guinness Toucan which has added to its landmark appearance. At the time of closing in 2019, the building was fully functional and had recently undergone several renovations to the interior. The demolition of the building would further reduce this area of Portland's historic structures, which currently includes only three buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries.  

Please consider signing this petition to help save a Portland landmark before it's too late!