Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is a major name in music. Finding success in the early 2000s and skyrocketing in popularity during the 2010s, Sheeran has become a household name in the last two decades.

Headlining multiple stadium and arena tours, Sheeran has made numerous appearances in the state of Massachusetts. However, his recent appearances in the Bay State area have been far more intimate than the sold out shows at Gillette Stadium. In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, the half Irish singer played a set at a local Boston Irish pub called The Dubliner.

Boston, a city where nearly a quarter of the population identifies as Irish or of Irish descent, is a major city for celebrating the holiday. Sheeran did not give fans very much notice for his show at the Boston pub. In an Instagram story early on March 17, Sheeran posted a photo of himself in a Boston Celtics jersey with the caption, “Meet me in the pub tonight.” Hours later, he did just that. Boston was the last stop on the musician's St. Patrick's Day mini-tour; he had made stops at bars in New Orleans and Nashville the weekend prior.

Although he was born in England, Sheeran identifies heavily with his Irish ancestry. With both of his paternal grandparents hailing from Ireland, Sheeran told British Broadcasting Company News in an interview that “I come from an Irish family, spent most of my childhood summers and birthdays and Christmases in Ireland listening to trad music bands.”

Despite Sheeran’s notable stardom, it was not easy to craft the celebrity image that he is known for today. In between playing pub shows and other gigs at night, and street-performing in the day, Sheeran would often go nights without a place to stay. In his book, “Ed Sheeran: A Visual Journey,” he recalls the experience. He wrote, “There was an arch outside Buckingham Palace that has a heating duct and I spent a couple of nights there,” and that “I didn’t have anywhere to live for much of 2008 and the whole of 2009 and 2010, but somehow I made it work. I knew where I could get a bed at a certain time of night and I knew who I could call at any time to get a floor to sleep on. Being sociable helped. Drinking helped.”

After countless shows in pubs and playing in the streets, Sheeran finally struck big with his breakthrough single “The A Team” in June of 2011. Sheeran’s first Grammy nomination soon followed as his hit single and the rest of the album “+” continued to climb the charts all around the world. His stardom continued to grow from there, and it hasn’t slowed down since.

Upon the release of his sophomore studio album, “X,” each song on the track has appeared on the Top 100 list. Cementing himself as a household name in music through his chart topping successes, Sheeran is known for his humble demeanor. In an October 2014 interview with The Guardian, the singer admitted that he was not in the business of changing his character to fit his newfound success. When asked if he would ever consider getting a stylist or changing his appearance to fit the fame, he said, “If you make someone look too like a star, no one’s going to have any connection with them.” This has remained true. Sheeran, even playing on major stages all around the world, still sports the same baggy jeans and hoodies that he doted on in the pub performances of his early career.

As part of his upcoming album, “Play,” which he announced on The Jimmy Fallon Show, Sheeran told fans that he is opening a promotional Irish pub in Ipswich, MA to kick off the release. The event was not directly open to the public; attendees had to send Sheeran an old video or message to the site his team set up and then wait to see if their entry was accepted. The website created for the pub gave very little information leading up to the event. The website included a phone number and the opening date of the pub, but nothing more. On the site's home page, it says, “Welcome to The Old Phone, a cozy, warm, and inviting Irish pub established in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Inspired by a journey through time, The Old Phone is a place where memories are celebrated and new ones are made. Blending the nostalgia of times gone by with the comfort of your favorite local establishment, guests are a part of something much larger than just a night out.”

Sheeran has a soft spot for Massachusetts. Having headlined shows at the TD Garden, Gillette Stadium, Boston Calling music festival and other places around the Bay State area, Sheeran knows the stages in MA better than most artists. According to Columbia Broadcasting System News, Sheeran set the attendance record for a single show and told the crowd at Gillette Stadium that he has “a lot of history with this place [MA]” and that the Commonwealth is “his favorite place to play in the United States.” 

The one-night pub was a hit among New Englanders who had the opportunity to attend. A local fan wrote, “Like any time-weathered Irish bar, it teemed with knick knacks that looked like they should be gathering dust: Jello molds, bowling trophies, analog clocks. A cozy ambiance settled across the room, thanks to the glow of electric candles flickering in votives and Tiffany-style lamps tucked between booths.”

Fans weren’t sure if the United Kingdom-born artist was going to make an appearance at the pub, but he did more than that. Sheeran played a set for fans that included his own music, covers of other artists like Chappell Roan as well as the filming of the music video for his new single.

Sheeran’s stop in the Commonwealth was short, but he was able to squeeze in a couple of stops in and around the greater Boston area. On March 28, Sheeran gave the weather report for Ipswich at local news station WBZ Boston just hours before the event.

Although his promotional event was one night only, it is safe to say that Sheeran will be back in the Bay State sometime soon.