The luck of The Irishman: Unique Albany barber shop ‘transforms classic into timeless’
By Tara Fletcher
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ALBANY — If the cracks in the leather of Penny McKelvey’s 40-plus-year-old barber chair could talk, I imagine the stories would make us laugh, cry and even cringe. That’s what happens in a place where people feel comfortable and safe: They share wisdom, tell tall tales and give world-class advice.
That’s the kind of place The Irishman Barber Shop is.
Owned and operated by master barbers Penny and Chris McKelvey, The Irishman is a laid-back, family-oriented shop that, in Penny McKelvey’s words, “Transforms classic into timeless and rugged into refined.”
Penny McKelvey grew up in her mother’s hair salon but admits she was always more interested in being a barber than a cosmetologist.
“It was the attention to detail that drew me to it,” she said. “There was no hiding your mistakes.”
It took a little longer for Chris McKelvey to become a barber, but with 11 years of experience he’s now a seasoned professional.
The teamwork and abilities of the couple were obvious when Noah Miller (a regular customer of Penny’s) came in for a recent haircut and beard trim. With one in the chair and one waiting, Penny explained to Chris how to take care of Noah’s hair and beard, and Chris followed her instructions to the letter.
Watching Chris’s tattooed hands use the straight razor is a thing of beauty … delicate and skilled.
While there, the discussion ranged from Flowbees, spit shines and Carl Childers’ haircut … none of which is available there. And even though laughs are easy to come by at The Irishman, the most important things to the McKelvey’s are that they are veteran-owned and bring services to the community that aren’t offered anywhere else in Albany.
The Irishman is located at 2222 Palmyra Road. And despite the name, you don’t have to be Irish or even a man to be a customer. You just have to want the upscale experience that The Irishman provides.
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