History

The Abbey Pub first opened in 1974 as an authentic Irish Pub. Ten years later, Tom Looney bought the business and it has been owned and operated by the Looney family ever since.  For years the Abbey was Chicago’s top Irish Pub, providing live traditional Irish music and showing telecasts of major sporting events from Europe. During this period Bridget Looney, or Breege, as everyone calls her was the backbone of the Abbey Pub.  Breege was “god mother” to many of Chicago’s young Irish men and women throughout the late eighties and nineties.

Tom and Breege’s son, Chicago fireman Pat Looney, locally known to most as the guy who was inches away from being Bartman (from the infamous 2003 Cubs playoffs) currently oversees operations.  The Abbey has evolved into one of Chicago’s premier live music venues,  hosting a diverse mix of national and regional acts.  The Abbey prides itself on cultivating and supporting the local music scene with various weekly and monthly residencies. But you don’t have to be a groundbreaking rock pioneer to take the stage. The Green Room Pub holds regular open mic nights on the first Tuesday of each month for those aspiring musicians looking to showcase their material to local crowds.

Past Performers