Rutgers-Newark Alum is Face of McGovern’s Tavern, Beloved Neighborhood Bar

As a newborn on his way home from St. Michael’s Hospital, Sean McGovern’s first stop was his Uncle Frank’s Irish bar in Newark, a 90-year-old city institution that bears the family name: McGovern’s Tavern.

A Rutgers-Newark alumnus who graduated in 1989, McGovern has spent much of his life there, including jobs as a bartender while working his way through school. When he became an attorney, he opened an office above the tavern, where he specializes in worker’s comp cases and criminal defense.

“It was our playground as a kid. It was more of a shot and a beer place back then, but it looks exactly the same as it did,’’ said McGovern, who plans on attending Rutgers-Newark’s first homecoming celebration in 10 years on October 25, along with his wife, Jennifer. Learn more here. 

Located on New Street, across from Rutgers Law School, the bar has been a beloved hangout for students, faculty and staff since Rutgers-Newark was established in 1946.

But patrons are an eclectic mix, from blue-collar workers who come in on their lunch break, to  lawyers and city employees who stop by for Happy Hour.  On Wednesdays and Thursdays, students from RU-N and NJIT fill the bar after class.

 “Everyone has their own reason for coming in,” said McGovern. “You can walk in by yourself or with five friends, or even on a date, and you’ll end up having a conversation with someone interesting. A lot of characters come in here.”

Many of the bartenders have been Rutgers students. “We’re always hiring them,” he said. “Some have been here 15 years.”

They include his  sister-in-law, Morgan Nagle — a Rutgers soccer alumna (Class of 2010) and now a Rutgers Law student. She co-owns the bar with her husband Mike Nagle and works as manager.

Other Rutgers graduates work there as bartenders, managers or wait staff, such as Briana Belbeck (Class of 2018) and Cambria "Cam" Koshinski  (Class of 2018), a graduate student at the School of Criminal Justice.  Additional Rutgers grads are Danielle Howell, who graduated last year, Bailey LeCour (Class of 2022),  Shannon Amendolia, (Class of 2023). MO, head bartender, and well-known to many alums and current students,was a Rutgers student and plans to finish his studies towards and earn a degree sometime in the near future, said McGovern.

McGovern’s great-uncle Frank McGovern, an immigrant from Swanlinbar, County Cavan, Ireland opened the bar in 1936, transforming what had been a Prohibition-era speakeasy into a legal neighborhood bar. It became a haven for Newark’s Irish residents, many of them newly arrived. It was, and remains, owned and run by family. 

“My great-uncle had no children, so my father and my Aunt Maura helped run the place from the time they were teenagers. They never went to school—just worked at the bar,” McGovern said.

McGovern has worked there since 1987. His wife, children, and extended family have all had a role at the tavern. “All my kids worked here,” he said. “My son Jack still works Wednesday nights.’’

McGovern’s is still a center for Irish cultural traditions. “Every Easter Sunday we go to Mass at St. Patrick’s, then there’s Irish dancing and we come back here for coffee, donuts, and pints of Guinness,” he said. “We’ve been doing that since before I was born — over 60 years.”

Although he renovated the bar in 2019, McGovern was careful to retain its character and preserve many of the original murals and memorabilia, including renderings of Mount Rushmore, the Irish countryside, and vintage ads for Guiness.

Hanging from the wall are framed basketball jerseys representing Newark’s colleges and universities, including, of course, Rutgers.

At Rutgers-Newark, McGovern majored in Political Science and History. He has good memories of his time in class and behind the bar. “It was a lot of fun and the professors were great,” he said. “You got to meet a lot of students from all over North and Central Jersey. McGovern’s was a big hangout. Working here as a bartender and going to school was great.”

For McGovern, the relationship between the university, the city, and the bar remains strong.

 “Rutgers has been a good partner for us and for the city,” he said. “They’ve changed together, and Rutgers has a lot to do with how great this neighborhood looks and how well it’s doing. I don’t think Newark could have a better partner than Rutgers in the city.”

Alumni connections also continue. “There’s a fraternity that comes in here every Wednesday before Thanksgiving,” McGovern said. “Twenty or thirty guys show up every year.’’

McGovern believes the tavern’s success comes down to consistency and community. “You need a great bartender, good food, and a good location,” he said. “We’re still a neighborhood bar, which I love. People change, but they keep coming back.’’

McGovern's is one of the many businesses owned by Rutgers alumni to be featured in a directory of alumni-owned businesses. Alumni are currently being invited to join by completing this form. The online directory will be live in November.