ARLINGTON, Va. â For the first time in nearly three decades, you won't be able to grab a Guinness on St. Patrick's Day at Ireland's Four Courts in Arlington.
On Aug. 12, 2022, more than a dozen people were hurt when a rideshare driver drove into the popular Arlington pub on Wilson Boulevard.
Nine people were hospitalized, four were in critical condition and five others had injuries that weren't life-threatening. Six other people were treated at the scene by first responders and later released.
"Seeing what happened was a complete shock. There were people who were really hurt and the most important thing is that they're all recovering," said Managing Partner Dave Cahill.
Police say they believe the driver involved was likely experiencing a medical emergency. Authorities had previously ruled out alcohol as a factor in the crash or that the driver intentionally crashed.
Thursday night, Cahill took WUSA9 inside the pub to see the progress they've made as they work to rebuild the beloved pub.
"Demolition started in February. As we broke stuff off and cleared everything out we realized the damage was more extensive than we thought initially," said Cahill.
Unfortunately, the work wasn't done in time for St. Patrick's Day this year, one of their busiest days of the year.
"On St. Patrick's Day the doors open at 8 a.m. and we've got our first customers having a Guinness. It turns into one huge party," said Cahill.
It's the first time since they opened in 1996, other than during the pandemic, that they won't be able to welcome people in to celebrate.
"Next year we're gonna make up for this and have a double celebration," said Cahill.
He told WUSA9 he's grateful for the outpouring of support they've received from the community.
"The community support has really lifted us and kept us going and given us extra motivation to get this open as quick as possible," said Cahill.
He said they hope to reopen the doors in August of 2023.