Jimmy Neary: The Irish Immigrant Who Built a New York City Legend

On this episode of Our American Stories, Jimmy Neary arrived in New York City from County Sligo, Ireland in 1954 with almost nothing but a gift for people. After finding work at the New York Athletic Club and learning the restaurant trade under famed Irish restaurateur P.J. Moriarty, he opened Neary’s near 57th Street and First Avenue and turned it into a Manhattan institution.

Told by his daughter, Una Neary, this is an Irish immigrant story about faith, family, and the kind of hospitality that made everyone feel like they belonged, from doormen to presidents. And when Jimmy died, the respect he’d earned was unmistakable: the NYPD shut down major New York City routes and escorted his funeral procession from St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

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