Inside America's oldest Irish pub, where wishbones left by WWI soldiers who never returned hang from the ceiling and Houdini's handcuffs have pride of place behind the bar
Warped wood, low lighting, the woozy scent of ale, and sawdust under foot. Stepping through the eroding swinging doors of McSorley's Old Ale House in New York's East Village is like stepping back in time. In fact, not much has changed since this characterful pub opened its doors in 1854, other than the fact that women are now allowed, there is electricity, and the invention of the deep fat fryer now means fries and battered fish have been added to the menu to complement the usual run of liverwurst, cheese, soup and sandwiches.