Though the end is near for Jim Hegarty’s Irish Pub, it’s not here quite yet. Let’s say farewell to a friend who has been there through thick and thin.

Whether the pub was a place for fanatics to drown their sorrows after a loss or indulge in a celebratory beer (or 10), countless students, alumni and locals hold a special place in their hearts for Heg’s.

Hegarty’s is the “quintessential Marquette Irish bar,” alumnus Joe Ladien said, Law ’08, as he fondly recalled the end of the year law school meetings and after class gatherings.

If Hegarty’s aged brick walls could talk, they’d share numerous stories — many of which the participants may have been too inebriated to recall.

Jay Rynne, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said, “When you went to Heg’s you were assured of three things: great friends, unbeatable deals and hazy memories.”

Details are minor as long as a good time was had by all.

Hegarty’s has the classic pub atmosphere and a “Cheers” appeal.

“Any bar where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came will hold a special place in your heart,” said Casey Schaak, a senior in the College of Communication and Meghan Dillon, a senior in the College of Health Sciences. “Heg’s is that for us.”

The pub has been a great on-campus retreat throughout the years. Heg’s always has great deals which vary each week. With tuition constantly on the rise, there’s nothing better than cheap wings washed down with 25 cent beers or “Double your Dough” nights. When compared to Murphy’s and Caffrey’s, Hegarty’s often has a much more relaxed atmosphere.

“Heg’s has always been a chill place to go, over the other often packed campus bars,” said Molly Lepic, a senior in the College of Health Sciences. “I’m sad to see it go.”

Heg’s has been home to great parties as well. Tropic nights, Halloween extravaganzas, karaoke contests and, of course, St. Patrick’s Day.

This year’s St. Patrick’s Day saw the last green beers poured, spilled, sipped and chugged in the pub’s 77 years.

“None of us really knew just how old that beer really was, and no one cared to ask,” Rynne said.

This Thursday, Heg’s will even do a bit of philanthropy by holding a fundraiser for Watumishi’s Ken-ya Help Us. The effort will raise funds to construct a library in Voi, Kenya. The event runs from 8 p.m. Thursday to 1 a.m. Friday with $10 bracelets and discounted beers and mixers.

With its story coming to a close, let’s all bid our farewell to the Marquette bar with a history.

Dillon and Schaak wrote in a Facebook message, “It will always be our bar on campus and we will most definitely see it out properly. Double your dough anyone?”