Swannie House closes after death of owner

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- The Swannie House, located at 170 Ohio St. in Buffalo, is closing after the death of its owner, Timothy Wiles.

Timothy's family decided to close the long-standing bar following his death on Oct. 25, his daughter Maria told WIVB News 4.

The Irish bar was first established in 1886 and was purchased by Timothy and his wife, Marlene, in 1983. The Swannie House was best known for its vast selection of pub food, including wings and its famous fish fry, which was voted as Buffalo Spree's "Best in WNY" in 2011, according to their Facebook page.

Maria said the family's decision to close was "extremely difficult."

"If our dad taught us anything, it is the importance of putting your family first. His children have established roots and lives out-of-state, and it would be a disservice to our young babies and families to change their lives as well as our own," she said. "It would especially be a disservice to our dad’s legacy if we did not have the ability to pour our everything into the business he loved. The future is unknown, but we wish to find someone who can do just that as well preserve its long, storied history."

The preservation of the bar's legacy is a top priority for Timothy's family, who emphasized how much the business meant to them and the customers.