While walking back from the Murphey School Auditorium I saw these spring time buds hanging from a tree near the Legislative Building. I am no expert on trees or plants, so I have no idea what type of tree this is.

The first thing that comes to mind about this place is the pronunciation of the name. I’ve heard three variations since living in Raleigh, and I’m sure there may be more. The variations are:

• Teer-Nah-Noh (long “o”, silent “g”)
• Teer-Nah-Nahg (short “o”)
• Teer-Nah-Nogue (long “o”)

Even when a friend of mine tended bar here for a while and used the correct pronunciation in conversation, people still got it wrong. Even though there are ads on the radio, people still get it wrong. Now I must admit that I used the “Nahg” pronunciation for some time. Notice on the first picture how the o in “Nóg” has an accent over it. According to an Irish author enlightening readers, ó is pronounced ’o’ as in low.
So if you were using any of the other pronunciations, you now know the correct one.
And by the way, Tir Na Nóg is a great pub, definitely worth checking out any day of the week.

Caroline and Katie, two lovely bartenders

This is the familiar building on Hargett Street, mentioned in my last post and across the street from Two T’s Rack and Tavern. The Empire web site says that

Constructed in 1914, this building was originally home to the Raleigh Furniture Store and later to Kimbrell’s Furniture. This stand-alone structure retains its original brick façade, featuring an original, painted advertisement on the external west-facing three-story wall. Exposed beams on the third floor, tin ceiling tiles on the second floor and hardwood floors throughout will be retained during the renovation, which will include additional windows for more natural light on the west side of the building. Renovations to this property will retain and revitalize its historic qualities, while adapting it for reuse by new, enterprising businesses that desire to operate in the heart of the city.

A news article on the Empire Web site says that

Instead of buying a building and focusing purely on financial return, he’s willing to take the time to renovate the building to its historical glory, and then wait as long as it takes — despite the cost — until the right tenant comes along.

I’ve gushed about Empire Properties before, when talking about the Odd Fellows Building. Any real estate company that puts historical precedence above a quick profit earns a lot of respect from me. Does anyone have information on the past and/or future of this building?