WATERLOO - One of Waterloo's favorite watering holes is in the running for statewide honors as Iowa's best Irish pub.

Jameson's Public House, 310 E. Fourth St., is included in an online poll sponsored by Iowa Public Television. The contest promotes this weekend's premiere of "Historic Pubs of Dublin." The winning bar will be announced at 7 p.m. Sunday on IPTV.

"Placing first would be absolutely huge for my business," said owner Buck Clark. "We went to great lengths to try and make our establishment as authentic as possible - not be just a bar with an Irish name, but to act and feel and look like an Irish pub."

Although the competition will earn Jameson's bragging rights only, Clark and his customers are excited about the possibility of garnering the state's best Irish tavern title. A poster announcing the contest hangs in the back of the traditional cottage-style pub and table tent cards adorned with classic Irish toast promote the "Historic Pubs of Dublin" documentary.

"We're trying to tell everyone we know," said Clark, whose establishment is currently in second place in the contest. "This is a really exciting time for us."

Jameson's, which opened in February 2006, incorporates wood fixtures from an 18th-century barn into its downtown location. Dim light pours from sparse ceiling fixtures, illuminating the pub's stark, but homey surroundings. Piping hot casserole dishes filled with shepherd's pie are enjoyed by customers at rustic wooden tables as contemporary Celtic tunes fill the room.

"I like the ambiance, the atmosphere," Chad Mast, of Cedar Falls, said while enjoying a drink at the pub Friday night. "I voted for them because I love it here."

Sarah Baraney, also of Cedar Falls, agreed.

"They've got good music, good food," she said. "It's always a good time here."

Jameson's, which offers a wide selection of beers and 13 types of Irish whiskey, features live music four nights a week. Last summer Clark played an influential role in the creating the area's first three-day "Irish Cultural and Fellowship Festival."

"We looked around and we researched to find out what Irish pubs were out there," said Jennifer Glover Konfrst, IPTV communications manager. "Jameson's was one of the original ones that we came up with, but we've uploaded more pubs as we've gone along."

The contest now includes 33 bars. Voting continues through 6:30 p.m. Sunday. The top bar will be honored prior to "Historic Pubs of Dublin," which tells the history of the city's most storied meeting places. As of Wednesday, Jameson's had 296,178 votes. The Busted Lift, in Dubuque, led the competition with 348,150 votes.

"We wanted to get viewers excited about this program, and this contest has really done that" Konfrst said. "We think it's great that Waterloo is stepping up to the plate here and voting."

Jameson's regular Craig Ament credits the pub's success to owner Clark.

"I think it's a well-run establishment," said the Waterloo man. "Buck is smart and he's good to his patrons. It's not just a good Irish bar. It's a good bar. Period."

Contact Mary Stegmeir at (319) 291-1482 or mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com.

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{M3Vote for your favorite Iowa Irish pub at www.iptv.org/promo/pubs