Currently viewing the tag: "Shamrock Restaurant"

by Maxine Troxell

Irish soda bread may be most popular around St. Patrick’s Day, and it’s usually served with corned beef and cabbage. I remember that Shamrock Restaurant served a delicious soda bread with their corned beef and cabbage meals.

This version bakes into a lightly sweetened round loaf, resembling a giant scone, with a burnished crust and tender, fluffy crumb. Plump raisins add pops of concentrated sweetness, but you could swap them out for any dried fruit—such as currants, sour cherries, or cranberries—or simply leave them out.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1½ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

3 tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into piece

5 tbsp. sugar, divided

½ tsp. kosher salt

2/3 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat an 8” diameter cake pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. 

Whisk 2 cups flour, 4 tbsp. sugar, 1½ tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. kosher salt, and  tsp. baking soda in a large bowl to combine. Add 3 tbsp. chilled unsalted butter (cut into pieces) to dry ingredients and rub with fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk. Gradually mix until incorporated and a shaggy dough comes together. Mix in raisins.

Using lightly floured hands, form dough into a ball and transfer to the prepared pan. Gently press dough to flatten slightly (dough will not reach edges of pan).  Sprinkle the remaining 1 tbsp. sugar.

Bake bread until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (40-45 minutes). Transfer pan to a wire rack and let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn bread out onto rack. Serve warm or cool completely.

James Rada, Jr.

Northern Frederick County lost a landmark last month when the Shamrock Restaurant was torn down. It gives the west side of Route 15, north of Thurmont, an empty look.

The 2.7-acre property sold last year to Two Farms, Inc. of Baltimore for just under $4 million. Two Farms is a holding company for properties for Royal Farm Stores.

Royal Farms is a convenience store/gas station chain, much like Sheetz and Rutter’s. It is well known for its fresh-cooked chicken. The chain has been around since 1959 and has 205 locations in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

The building had to have asbestos removed earlier this year. Site work for the new Royal Farm Store will now begin. It is expected to be built between the old Shamrock Restaurant and Franklinville Road.

Traffic flow in and out of the location and across Route 15 is expected to complicate things.

It is believed that the Franklinville Road crossover of Route 15 will have to be closed and northbound traffic rerouted to Route 15. This has yet to be determined, though as things still seem in the early stages.

Photos by Kirby Delauter

James Rada, Jr.

With the announcement that a Thurmont landmark, the Shamrock Restuarant, will end its 56-year-run on December 30, 2019, The Catoctin Banner thought it would share some of its reader’s memories of the Irish-themed restaurant.

The late Mike Fitzgerald opened the Shamrock in 1963. He said in a 2014 interview that the restaurant had a rough start, “There were days and nights in a row that I wouldn’t go home. I would be working here doing whatever needed to be done, and then I would sleep here.”

The Shamrock Restaurant building has been around since the 1950s. It was originally a dance hall that didn’t have the best reputation, resulting in Fitzgerald being able to purchase it at an affordable price.

It also helped that the Shamrock Restaurant was a family business. Fitzgerald, his wife, his mother, and his nine children (as they grew old enough) all worked in the restaurant. Two of the Fitzgerald children, Dawn Knox and Donna Demmon, took over the business in 2016, but they are ready to retire.

The Shamrock was known for its St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, and it won a national award for having the best St. Patrick’s Day party in the nation years ago. It was also the first restaurant in Frederick County to get a liquor license in 1965.

The website announcement of the closing reads in part: “We have worked with hundreds of employees, many of whom have been as close as family. It will be very hard to part with some who have worked with us five to thirty years; others who worked here many years ago and came back as the seasons of their lives have changed. And more recent, workmates who already fit into our operation just like the old-timers. What a wonderful gang!! We have met and become friends with thousands of patrons. The warmth and affection that permeates this business is the root cause of our longevity. We cherish the kindheartedness and loyalty we’ve been blessed to know from our staff and customers.”

Shown below are postings on the Shamrock Facebook page of what some had to say about the restaurant closing, sharing their memories and speaking their own personal “goodbye.”

I have been coming to the Shamrock since President Nixon stayed at Camp David as a member of the White House Press. Mike and I became friends, camped, and rode horse back in the mountains. My family and children enjoyed Mike’s cabin and wonderful food at the Shamrock, watching Mike’s family grow up. I have known Donna since she was a little girl and their dogs chased me on top a table.

                          –Ron Bennett

I was so happy to have the opportunity to eat there last month…and am so glad I bought my t-shirt as a remembrance. The first time I ate there was at our EMI class graduation dinner back in 2009. Living in Texas, it took a decade to get back again. My husband and I were traveling in the area, and I couldn’t wait to introduce him to a place that held such a special place in my heart.

                          –Deb Doyle

I read this with mixed emotions. Sorry to lose an icon in Frederick County but am happy for you, Donna and Dawn. You have worked hard. Your parents would be so proud of you both.

                          –Nancy Ferrell Piper

So sad to hear this, but it is time for you to get to relax and enjoy quality time together. Will miss being able to talk with you, Donna, about Ireland and Irish relatives. And the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant. Also the delicious food.”

                          –Kathleen Cogan

What a wonderful place! We always stop by there and eat on our way up to PA. Will be missed! Always had great fresh food and wonderful service! Bought several baubles over the years in the front part of the restaurant.”

                          –Gail Glassmoyer

Great place! I will always remember the good times at the Shamrock when I lived in Thurmont during the 1970s. Happy retirements!! Who gets the crab cake recipe?

                          –Marty Madden

May you all enjoy your new lease on life! My husband and I discovered the Shamrock a few years ago as we drove to Herndon, VA; it was the best discovery we ever made. Whenever we made that trip, we would plan our time so we were at the Shamrock by afternoon or mid-day. We certainly agree that you all have done wonderful work and we do appreciate your hospitality!

                          –Judith Hansen

On October 22, 2019, the Thurmont Lions Club celebrated its 90th Anniversary on its Charter Night, held at Shamrock Restaurant. SVDG Charlie Croft presented to the club a certificate from District Governor Evan Gillett in recognition of its 90 years of service. Past International Directors Ted Reiver and Richard Liebon greeted the audience. 

SVDG Croft presented an International President’s Certificate of Appreciation to Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird for all he does for the Thurmont Lions Club and the Thurmont community. 

Mayor Kinnaird presented two proclamations to the club: one from the Town of Thurmont and the other from the State of Maryland. A great honor!

Lion Dianne McLean received  a Melvin Jones Fellow, and Lion Doug Favorite received a Life Membership.

In addition, four chevron members were recognized: Lions Joyce Anthony and George Bolling (20 years) and Lions Joann Miller and Kim Grimm (10 years). The committee recognized the past presidents and those members with 30-plus years of service.

The necrology service remembered Lions Cindy Wantz, John Hart, and John Brown.

Lion Dianne McLean receives a Melvin Jones Fellow: (from left) Lion Joyce Anthony, Lion Dianne McLean, PDG Paul Cannada.

Lion Doug Favorite receives a Life Membership: (from left) President Joyce Anthony, Lion Doug Favorite, 2nd VDG Charlie Croft.

International President’s Certificate of Appreciation is presented to Mayor John Kinnaird of Thurmont: (from left) Lion Joyce Anthony, Thurmont Mayor John Kinnaird, PID Richard Liebno.

James Rada, Jr.

In early March of this year, Mike Fitzgerald’s children performed a sad duty in honor of their father: they made his casket from standing dead trees that Mike had harvested years earlier.

Donald “Mike” Fitzgerald passed away on February 28, 2016, in the log home that he built himself. He was eighty-five years old.

The Shamrock Restaurant, which Mike opened in 1963, closed for a few days when it was learned that Mike had died. It reopened a week later, and now stands as a legacy for Mike’s hard work and love of family.

About Shamrock Restaurant in a 2014 interview, Mike Fitzgerald said, “There were days and nights in a row that I wouldn’t go home. I would be working here doing whatever needed to be done and then I would sleep here.”

The Shamrock was created out of an old dance hall. The walls were stripped and redone, turning the dance hall side of the building into the dining room. Only two rows of tables had tablecloths, originally, and a smaller dance floor was left in place for weekend dances.

On the bar side, Mike raised the price of beers to encourage the troublemakers, who used to come to the dance hall for cheap beer, to go drink elsewhere.

The Shamrock was a family business. Mike, his wife Doris Jane, his mother, and his nine children (as they grew old enough), all worked in the restaurant.

Mike had been a machinist with Moore Business Systems, but he had advanced as far as he could without moving out of state. He had grown up in a restaurant family, though. His parents had owned Fitzgerald’s in Emmitsburg until his father died in 1940. Mike and Doris Jane had decided that they could open a new restaurant and make it successful.

The Shamrock was the first restaurant in Frederick County to get a liquor license in 1965.

The restaurant also won a national award years ago for having the best St. Patrick’s Day party in the nation.

Mike’s living legacy, however, is his family. He is survived by his wife of sixty-eight years, Doris Jane (Wastler), and nine children: Donna (and TJ) Demmon of Thurmont; Dennis (and Dianne) Fitzgerald of Huntsville, AL; Dawn (and Donald) Knox of Taneytown; Diane (and David) Stottlemyer of Thurmont; Debra Oster of Thurmont; Daniel (and Heather) Fitzgerald of Emmitsburg; David (and Bonny) Fitzgerald of Emmitsburg; Darrell Fitzgerald of Frederick; and Dean (and Cecilia) Fitzgerald of Frederick. He also has seventeen grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren who will all remember him.

The Town of Thurmont owes him a debt for helping establish the Thurmont Community Park and donating it to the town while he was president of the Thurmont Jaycees. He also helped in the creation of Catoctin Colorfest, which allows many non-profit organizations in town to raise a lot of money each year. He was the charter president of the Thurmont Colt’s Corral Chapter 12. Fitzgerald and his friend, Vernon Myers, also launched the Catoctin Youth Association.

He was interred in St. Anthony’s Catholic Church Cemetery.

March 2016

Emmitsburg

New Website Up and Running

The town has launched its new website design. You can still view it at www.emmitsburgmd.gov, but it has a new, updated look that includes many new features, such as county alerts, streaming of old meetings, a business directory, and an online incident report.

“This is light years beyond what we have had in the past,” Commissioner Glenn Blanchard said after the presentation.

The website went live in mid-March, and the town staff is seeking pictures that can be posted on the website, particularly pictures of town events that show people.

Pumping Station Gets Power Star

Power Star energy monitoring equipment will soon be installed on the Emmitsburg pumping station, which is guaranteed to decrease electric costs at the pumping station by at least ten percent.

Emmitsburg Zoning Technician Jerry Muir said that the equipment is manufactured in Europe and inhibits unneeded power into the station. “If we need 426 volts, we don’t get 440, that’s where you get the savings,” Muir said.

This is because even if the electricity isn’t used, if it goes to the pumping station, it still has to be paid for. Emmitsburg will be the first municipality in the country with this technology.

Deputies Want to Start Rocket Club

The Frederick County Community Deputies are planning on starting a rocket club for youth in Emmitsburg. The group will meet once a month to build model rockets and then launch them. “We want to encourage youth to come out and feel more comfortable with us and to have a positive impact on them,” the deputy told the Emmitsburg mayor and commissioners.

Other deputies had run a rocket club once before in town and found it to be a popular club.

For more information on the town of Emmitsburg, visit www.emmitsburgmd.gov or call 301-600-6300.

Emmitsburg

by Mayor Briggs

The Doughboy is up.  What took two seconds to knock down took eight months to reinstall. After what seemed like an endless state protocol process, nationally known sculptor Gary Casteel did the repair work in three and half months. Shining, the doughboy rests atop a new 6,500 pound sandstone pedestal extracted from the same quarry as the original base. Welcome home.

Stavros is open—welcome home!

Go men’s Mount Rugby team. The team is ranked No. 1 in the country Small College Division and will play for the National Championship in Denver in late April.

It seems every day that we lose part of history with the passing of another member of our community. Over the last month we lost Richard “Dick” Waybright, a seventh-generation dairy farmer, like few others. Dick was internationally renowned and visited over 80 countries and along with his brother, Horace, developed cutting edge technology needed for the modern dairy farmer. It’s the only dairy farm I know of with a theatre to accommodate its many visitors. We also lost Donald “Mike” Fitzgerald, the proprietor of the Shamrock Restaurant, a northern Frederick County landmark. He was a restaurateur like few others. Known for its Irish décor and menu, the restaurant drew customers from all over. Mike was also known for his strong patriotic views to which he always stood steadfast. Both men will be missed.

Work on replacing sidewalks along South Seton Avenue by the State Highway Administration (SHA) is underway. This is the first installment of the Emmitsburg downtown revitalization project. When the work is complete on South Seton Avenue, the plan is to immediately shift to continue side walk replacements on North Seton Avenue. The whole Seton Avenue work is projected to be completed in two months.

Emmitsburg was featured in the February 2016 edition national mountain bike magazine “Dirt Bag”. Purportedly, the magazine has a readership of over 200,000. The article was written by Brice Shirbach who grew up in the area. The mountain bike trail was developed on town owned land of which 550 acres was donated to the town in 2000 by the State of Maryland working in concert with the Conservation Fund. This is a dream project of Commissioner Tim O’Donnell.

I attended the March monthly meeting of county executive, mayor and burgesses. The main agenda item was going over the results of the SHA Tourist Area and Corridor (TAC) signage program. All through the process northern Frederick County tourism stakeholders were given the opportunity to be involved in the decisions on tourist road signage that will appear in the not too distant future.

Recently I participated in the “Read Across America” program at Mother Seton School. I had the honor of reading to the fourth-grade class and it was a phenomenal experience. Last year Reese Fryer from the town office, Libby and I read to first graders at Emmitsburg Elementary School which was an equally great experience.

Thurmont

New Basketball Courts Approved

On March 2, 2016, the Thurmont mayor and commissioners approved a bid to have Playground Specialists build two new basketball half-courts at Pleasant Acres Park and Woodland Park. Playground Specialists presented the low bid of $37,875. Of this amount, $37,800 will be paid for by Program Open Space funds.

Town to Hire Summer Maintenance Worker

Thurmont will hire a seasonal employee to maintain town parks and trails this summer. The expected cost for this position is $10,560 for an employee who works forty hours per week at $12.00 for twenty-two weeks. The position’s duties include picking up trash, cleaning bathrooms, and emptying the trash cans in the parks. The purpose of this new hire will be to free up other town staff for work that requires greater knowledge and skill, such as street maintenance.

Despite the additional cost, the Department of Public Works is still expected to come in under budget for the fiscal year, which ends on June 30.

Thurmont Receives Clean Audit

The Thurmont mayor and commissioners received their annual audit during the February 23 town meeting. McLean, Koehler, Sparks & Hammond of Frederick (MKS&H) conducted the audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015. Megan Baker and Barbara Walker of MKS&H presented the highlights of the audit to the commissioners and answered questions.

The town received a clean, unqualified, and unmodified opinion, which is good. Total assets increased $2 million, most of which are infrastructure improvements. Total liabilities increased $3 million. Most of this comes from accounting changes that require a different way of reporting pension liabilities. Overall, revenues for the year decreased around $82,015, and overall expenses increased around $62,652.

The town had $14.6 million in revenues from sources for 2015 and expenses of $12.8 million, leaving the town with a $1.8 million surplus. Although the audit was fine, a couple deficiencies were noted that need to be addressed. One is that some journal entries are needed to reconcile some accounts at year end. The audit notes, “we suggest that management perform monthly reconciliations and more routine reviews that include all funds and accounts.”

Town staff has done this both individually and on an overall fund basis for the cash accounts. They are working on performing monthly reviews for the journal entries and account balances. This will hopefully be accomplished by augmenting the accounting staff.

Another note on the audit was that the same person who signs checks can also write checks and post them to the general ledger. The audit recommended that “another individual should be trained to generate the checks for payment and then post the checks once they have been approved and signed.” This will also hopefully be accomplished once the accounting staff is augmented. In the meantime, Mayor John Kinnaird routinely reviews monthly bank statements and cancelled checks.

For more information on the town of Thurmont, visit www.thurmont.com or call the town office at 301-271-7313.

Deb Spalding

On Tuesday, January 6, 2014, the public was invited to enjoy the Irish tradition of Women’s Little Christmas at Shamrock Restaurant in Thurmont.

Outside the dining room windows that day at Shamrock, diners observed beautiful soft snow falling, as they settled in the fire-warmed dining room listening contently as singers, Nita Corn and her daughter Eileen, sang Irish and holiday tunes. For the folks who ventured out, it was an enjoyable afternoon.

Shamrock’s Donna Demmon welcomed visitors by visiting each table. She explained that after the ladies in Ireland have worked to create a festive holiday for their families, they are rewarded with a girl’s outing to celebrate. 

“Ladies would go to the pub and sit and have a Guinness. The publican (man or woman who owns the pub) would serve them free corned beef sandwiches on Women’s Little Christmas. We’re serving to everyone who comes in today, ladies and gentleman, a complimentary Reuben Sandwich,” said Demmon.

Donna enjoyed visiting the folks at each table and making sure they understood the tradition that was being celebrated. She presented each table with free corned beef pinwheels.

Before the snow, Donna said that the reservations for the event were more than she had hoped, but with the weather conditions, many did not venture out. She plans to host the event annually and continue to share the tradition.

DSC_1001

Shamrock Restaurant’s Donna Demmon is shown serving Jackie Campbell, Carol Robertson, and Kathy Cogan corned beef pinwheels during Little Women’s Christmas.