A Touch of Ireland in Sunny Southwest Florida
Authentic fish 'n chips, genuine Guinness, and the perfect pub atmosphere.
Meet Kevin Doyle
Kevin Doyle opened The Celtic Ray Public House in 1997 for a simple reason: he wanted to create a place he actually wanted to go to. What started as a 35-seat pub has grown into a 350-seat institution with all the same character and charm it started out with.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Kevin built the Ray around the things he values—authentic food, proper pints, real conversation, and doing things the right way without shortcuts. There are no TVs, on purpose: at the Ray, you talk to each other, and the bartenders.
When it comes to a good night out, Kevin believes only three sounds matter: music, conversation, and laughter, and the Ray is built around all three.
“The meaning of life is to be happy and The Celtic Ray will help you do that.”
- Kevin Doyle
The Celtic Ray's Philosophy
The Celtic Ray Public House sticks to a clear philosophy: do it right, or don’t bother.
Kevin didn’t even purchase fryers until he found the exact right “chippy” vinegar for the fish and chips, which is their flagship dish. The fish? Icelandic cod. Full stop.
Guinness itself installed their beer systems and the kegs are imported directly from Ireland, ensuring every pour is exactly as it would be in Dublin.
Nothing here is watered down…literally: curries use cider, gravy is made with Guinness, and the soda bread gets buttermilk.
They make their own pasties from scratch and rotate a new curry each week, which, it's said, have inspired people to travel from India.
The only thing they don’t make is ketchup because, as Kevin says, “Ketchup was made to disguise lousy food and ours isn’t.
St. Patrick’s Day is a spectacle: in 2025 they went through 194 kegs—75 of them Guinness—plus a ton and a half of potatoes, 700 pounds of cod, and 1,200 pounds of corned beef.
Not only that, but the kitchen was also supported by three food trucks!
As a Pub Should Be
The Celtic Ray Public House is one of the most authentic Irish pubs in Florida, with scratch-made food, proper pints, live music, and a social atmosphere you won’t find anywhere else, outside of Ireland. Stop by, as they say, for a pint for two!
