A wee bit o' Irish on B Street

"It was a total coincidence," said O'Neill in a smooth Irish accent at a table in the back of his pub. "Luck of the Irish, if you will."

O'Neill has indeed found the luck of the Irish with his pub, which has become a common watering hole for many locals. It has also received its share of accolades, including a "Gold Standard Pint" certificate from Guinness and a top 10 ranking from irishpubs.com.

The pub's interior is a place where any Irishman would feel at home. Random Irish-themed items, football (soccer) jerseys, pictures and much more clutter the place, making it feel homey. And everything has a story.

"The most unusual thing is a spinning wheel," O'Neill said. "It was given to me by a lady who used to sing here and passed away."

Perhaps the most bizarre corner of O'Neill's is the confessional, a small sitting area partially built into the wall with a red light and a cross. O'Neill came up with the idea while visiting another pub.

For O'Neill, opening his own pub was no big gamble. He was born in 1962 into a Dublin family with four siblings and its share of success. For example, his older sister, Martha, currently heads the Irish Film Board and had a role in the development of several major motion pictures shot around the Emerald Isle.

O'Neill himself is a former professional squash player. He was first introduced to the Bay Area in 1992 when he took a job as a pro at the Pacific Athletic Club in Redwood Shores. While working there, he got a tip there might be a big market for an Irish pub in Park City, Utah because of the pending 2002 Olympics. In 1996, he and some partners opened up a pub.

At the same time, however, O'Neill had a desire to do something local.

"It's something I always wanted to do," O'Neill said. "I think the Peninsula was an ideal area."

He initially planned to open up in Burlingame. However, when he walked by the B Street location he felt it might be a better opportunity. He also heard about the San Mateo City Council's plans for downtown redevelopment and wanted to get on board early.

During the year-and-a-half period needed to get the pub up and running, O'Neill sold his interest in the Utah establishment and focused on his new venture.

O'Neill said his pub, and others like it, are special places for people to gather and down a pint or two together.

"I think of a pub as like a global village," O'Neill said. "People from all walks know they can have a good time at a place like this."

A big part of O'Neill's strategy comes from something his homeland is famous for: Irish hospitality.

"Irish hospitality means everything," O'Neill said. "There is nothing greater than coming into someone's place and them going out of the way to be polite."

Irish hospitality will be in full force today as O'Neill has an ambitious agenda planned for his St. Patrick's Day customers.

"We will be open at 6 a.m. which is a tradition we have done for the last five years," O'Neill said.

Besides the usual sort of Irish beers and whiskeys, the pub has partnered with two local restaurants - Kingfish and Jeffrey's - to bring in traditional Irish fare like corn beef and cabbage and fish and chips.

Entertainment wise, a traditional Irish harpist will play during the lunch hour, followed by a bagpiper in the early evening. Traditional Irish music will last into the night.

For O'Neill, St. Patrick's Day is a time to reflect on what - including his pub and his wife, Pixie - is important in his life and to give thanks for his blessings.

"I never forget about what St. Patrick is about," said O'Neill of Ireland's patron saint. "This day is not just a drinking fest."

One thing he does hope this year is that people get over a very popular St. Patrick's Day misconception.

"We don't dye our rivers or beer green," said O'Neill. "I've never tasted green beer and never want to."