The Kells has not had a quiet fall

By adamg on Wed, 11/11/2009 - 9:10pm

Since September, the Kells has had at least four violent incidents linked to it, most recently this past weekend's murder that prosecutors say started as an argument inside the Brighton Avenue bar. Here's a rundown of these incidents linked to the bar, which members of the Boston Licensing Board said is not a trouble spot:

Early on Nov. 8, Gregory Phillips was stabbed to death just outside the Kells. A Dorchester man is charged as an accessory to his murder; the actual killer remains at large.

On Oct. 18, a woman who got into an argument with a bartender over a friend's tab threw a stool at a bartender, then, after she was kicked out, returned and threatened to shoot the place up.

On Sept. 25, Wicked Local Allston/Brighton ran a somewhat vague police blotter item about the Kells' 20th citation by police (this year? ever?) for an argument among a dozen men leaving the Kells that ended with one man pushed to the ground.

On Sept. 6, two Dorchester men were arrested following a brawl that started outside the Kells and ended with several people in the hospital, including a man stabbed in the chest and a police officer.

Neighborhoods:

Allston

Free tagging:

Kells

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Comments

I spent a lot of time at the

By mixylplik3 on Wed, 11/11/2009 - 9:50pm.

I spent a lot of time at the Kells from 02-04, mostly because I drank at a greatly discounted rate. It was a pretty divey place and that downstairs bar was frighteningly small. Things have changed over the years but I don't remember very much drama for the most part.

Haven't been since the big renovation a few years ago. Is it the economy? Is Allston just in decline? I enjoyed living in Allston. Just doesn't sound like the place I remember anymore.

It was still a more local

By anon on Thu, 11/12/2009 - 10:51am.

It was still a more local and college crowd from 04-06. I've been there infrequently since, but it's apparent they're promoting to a different crowd, and style.

It's practically a dance club that has several bars now. They also tend to bring in DJ's that bring in people from Dorchester and Rox.

They also go rid of their meat on a stick, while the tap lines are as skunky as ever :/

In 2001-2002

By Kaz on Thu, 11/12/2009 - 11:26am.

In the early part of the decade, after I'd moved to Boston, I'd stopped by there for dinner one night. There was a live trio playing Irish music and the food was half decent.

I stopped by there again a few years ago and the food was awful, and I was uncomfortable even getting through the front door because of the people hanging around outside at the time. I also saw a glossy ad around that time stuck on my windshield pimping it just like the Great Scott and half of these other "club" bars do. I also tend to remember it bragging about its new Asian menu...instead of Irish fare, and thinking The "Kells"... Asian... WTF?

I had assumed it switched owners and the new owners tried to go more hip, urban, douchebaggy club vibe instead of the Irish bar it had been before. This latest round of news makes me wonder if they got what they were looking for...times 20.

Problems in the Kells are nothing new ...

By Dann on Wed, 11/11/2009 - 9:53pm.

... at least in my limited experience. While attending BU years ago, I went to The Kells four times. Every single time, some drunk guy (a different guy each time, obviously) threatened me with physical violence - accidentally bumping into each other in the always too-crowded bar, an argument over who was next in line for the bathroom, etc. I'm not exaggerating when I say this happened each time I went there. After my fourth and final visit, every time a group of friends said they were going out to The Kells, I'd stay home by myself.

I don't know if it's due to the aforementioned overcrowding, over-serving or what, but this post didn't shock me in the slightest.