Jon Gray, “Mayor” of The Linq project being built between the Flamingo and The Quad, has shared the first photo of a freshly-erected sign for the new O’Sheas.

We knew you’d be back!

For those who have been missing the original O’Sheas (like this blog) since it closed in 2012, this new sign represents both a blast from the past and a glimpse into the future.

The aforementioned Jon Gray. His real title is Vice President and General Manager of The Linq, but “Mayor” just sounds snappier.

The new O’Sheas will bring a more contemporary twist to the popular casino, beloved for its beer pong, plentiful hooch and Lucky the Leprechaun.

The new O’Sheas will have a bar, gaming tables and live entertainment. Just like the old O’Sheas, but significantly less sticky.

Please note: People in renderings don’t respond when you tell them to turn around and face the camera.

Read more about The Linq, the tenants that have been announced to-date, and the crown jewel of The Linq, the High Roller observation wheel.

We were giddy to receive news yesterday that massive parts of the High Roller observation wheel, the crown jewel of the even-more-massive Linq project, had arrived at the construction site behind the former O’Shea’s casino.

The last time we saw legs this thick, we are totally censoring the second half of this photo caption.

The outsized segments, complete with inner scaffolding and ladders, will be assembled to form the support legs of the 550-foot (world’s tallest) High Roller observation wheel, expected to open in the latter part of 2013.

We suspect this is the way people, very brave people, will climb the wheel for cleaning and maintenance.

While at the construction site, we also noted a new “plinth” (below), the adorably-named outcropping to which a brace leg will be connected. This brace leg will go west-to-east, perpendicular to the Las Vegas Strip.

If you want to impress friends at your next dinner party, whip this out: “Actually, it’s a tubular steel, variable diameter transverse brace.” Somebody’s getting lucky with that line, guaranteed.

The word "sturdy" comes to mind.

This blog is endlessly fascinated by the incredible engineering feat involved in making the High Roller a reality, especially the names of the parts: Hubs. Spindles. Bearings. Cable spoke systems.

And just wait until the rim of the wheel is installed: “The tubular steel rim will be erected in segments with the assistance of radial erection struts.” This blog is fairly sure it’s never heard a phrase it has liked saying more than “radial erection struts.” But maybe that’s just us.

We can’t wait to see what’s delivered next! Learn more about The Linq, and stay in the loop by liking The Linq Facebook page, and following The Linq and its “mayor,” Jon Gray, on Twitter.

When the beloved O’Sheas casino closed (in April, 2012) to make way for The Linq project, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. We know, because we were in the building, gnashing along with all the other O’Sheas fans.

As the end neared, the table games were shut down, one-by-one. At the roulette table, the wheel was spun for a final time.

The moment of truth.

This blog took note of the last number to hit (hint: it wasn’t the one with the big stack), for posterity, but haven’t shared it, until today.

The last spin of the O’Sheas roulette wheel was 31, black. Now, you know.

We miss you, O’Sheas, our sticky, boisterous, bedraggled, slurring old friend. Read more.

There were things we knew we’d miss when O’Sheas casino closed back in April, in fact we made a list of them. We knew we’d miss the beer pong, the free entertainment and block parties.

But there are others we didn’t expect to miss so much. Here are 15 of them.

1. Lucky’s Spiel

The portrayal of Lucky the Leprechaun, the O’Sheas mascot, by Brian Thomas was one for the ages. Luckily, if you’ll pardon the expression, we captured his popular sales pitch on video during a live chat toward the end of his reign.

2. Gringo Loco

This blog is no linguist, but we’re pretty sure the name of this place meant “The Crazy White Dude Taco Shop.” We miss it, anyway.

We both miss and are somewhat offended by you, El Gringo Loco.

3. The Oxygen

Yes, there was a kiosk at O’Sheas that sold oxygen. We don’t have to understand it to miss it.

Oxygen stands are everywhere in Vegas, so we're not going to say anything bad about them.

4. Justin the Tattoo Guy

We knew we’d miss Vince Neil Ink, but didn’t suspect we’d grown so fond of Justin, the gentle giant whose laser-like precision created art out of human flesh. See what we mean.

Justin could crush human skulls with his bare hands. But chose not to most of the time.

5. The Burger King Frog

The frog statue inside the former Burger King at O’Sheas was just so random, so adorable and so, well, O’Sheas. Let’s hope he went to a good home.

Such a great spokesperson for the health benefits of fast food.

6. Cigarette Girls

Yes, that’s what they call them, “cigarette girls.” Why? They sell cigarettes. And there are no boys that do this gig. Luckily, you can still find Tina (below) and friends roaming the casino floors of Flamingo, Bill’s and Planet Hollywood, among others.

We also miss having ready access to bunny ears and giant sunglasses.

7. Kilts

When O’Sheas closed, the Las Vegas Strip’s best excuse to wear a kilt went with it. We haven’t seen, or worn, a single one since.

Without O'Sheas, we just don't feel com-pleat.

8. Bambu

This model, dancer and actress was featured in the show “Freaks” at O’Sheas (yes, we miss that, too), and we bumped into her later hawking tickets to the Dirk Arthur magic show. She was featured in a Las Vegas Weekly story recently, so at least we know she’s doing OK.

You could always kind of pick Bambu out of a crowd.

9. Kitties

Speaking of Dirk Arthur, we miss his kitties! Dirk and his feline family are doing fine, we’re happy to say. The magician informs us that he’s doing gigs at Harrah’s Laughlin until he finds another home for his show on the Strip.

We'll never get that close to carnassial teeth again, whatever those might be.

10. Psychic Universe

Yes, everyone knows psychic readings are flim-flammery, but they can also be a hoot if you’re in the mood. The Psychic Universe shop at O’Sheas made it easy to get a tarot card or palm reading on the fly. We hear the folks at the O’Sheas shop have taken their business online. We’d give you the domain name, but you should just be able to sense it.

Bonus points if you didn't even know this was in O'Sheas.

11. Go-Go Dancers

It wasn’t the most glamorous of gigs on the Strip, but they acted like it was. And we miss them for that.

New Vegas slogan: "Leave no elevated platform un-go-goed."

12. The Dealers

The dealers at O’Sheas were cut from a different cloth and made a visit to O’Sheas unlike any other casino in Las Vegas.

It's not envy. It's O'Sheas flair.

13. The Giant, Dusty Pretzel

It’s weird the things you miss.

Yes, this list is dragging on a little too long. Don't get bent out of shape about it.

14. The Shamrocks

Where else could you see such a high concentration of shamrocks on the Las Vegas Strip, we asked rhetorically?

Well, that did it, we're getting all weepy again.

Shamrocks, of course, are a symbol of Ireland the same way a rose represents England and a leek represents Wales. Man, Wales got the short end of that stick, didn’t it? Anyway, shamrocks were everywhere at O’Sheas. And we mean everywhere.

That might not be a shamrock, but you get the picture.

15. Moose

Honestly, we miss the people we met at O’Sheas more than just about anything else. If you sat five minutes at the Dublin Up bar, you were guaranteed to meet someone from a far-flung state or country, and within five more minutes, you’d feel like old friends. (Thanks, cheap shots of hooch.) We miss Moose, below, and all the other Mooses we met at O’Sheas. They were some of the most fun-loving, warm, wacky and unforgettable people ever. You’ll still find them in Vegas, you just can’t find them all in one place.

See you when we see you, Moose.

What do you miss about O’Sheas that you didn’t expect to miss? Was it edible? Was it loud? Was it sticky? We’re right there with you.

Progress can be cruel sometimes. A drive by the former O’Sheas casino is proof.

It was her time.

The good news, and there’s lots of good news, is that dramatic progress has been made on the Las Vegas Strip to make way for The Linq, the $550 million development project that will include an entertainment and dining corridor, as well as The High Roller observation wheel. Read more about The Linq.

We’ve got some recent photos of the area around O’Sheas, including Imperial Palace, and while it ain’t pretty, it’s exciting to see how Vegas is transforming itself, yet again.

Remember the O'Sheas parking lot? This was that.

The O’Sheas parking lot was imploded on May 1, and construction crews have made quick work of removing the rubble.

Yep, that's what's left. All 17 pounds of it.

Relax. Sin City knows what it’s doing.

It's like a blank canvas upon which Sin City will paint its Mona Lisa. A Mona Lisa with bars, restaurants, shops and a huge-ass Ferris wheel.

The Imperial Palace is slowly losing its Asian influence, too. The hotel won’t even be called the Imperial Palace much longer. The hotel will soon be renamed The Pulse, after this blog, unless we’re completely making that up.

Never a dull moment in Vegas.

This used to have an Asian symbol on it. We think it meant, "Gambling. It's a hoot." Or something along those lines.

The Rockhouse bar and nightclub, outside Imperial Palace, has had its innards removed. Word has it the Rockhouse will be opening down the road in the Venetian. (We try not to ask too many questions.)

Ah, the good times we almost remember.

Out front, the former home of the Rockhouse is barely recognizable.

Sad face. Sometimes, it helps to keep repeating, "The Linq," "The Linq," "The Linq."

There’s a new building being erected behind Flamingo Las Vegas.

Look at all the "erected" jokes we're not making.

Take heart, Vegas fans. Out of the ashes shall emerge The Linq. And it shall be fancy.

The Linq will even have an Irish-themed bar. Like O'Sheas, but without the unique fragrance, if you get our drift.

You’ll live forever in our memories, O’Sheas.

That freaked us out a little bit. But we're getting past it.

More updates to come! Happier updates. With fewer buildings having their faces eaten off.

Things move quickly on the Las Vegas Strip, and Caesars Entertainment has wasted no time in taking the next big step toward making room for the Linq, the massive development project that will feature a shopping and dining promenade, as well as a 500-foot observation wheel. Let’s blow something up!

This would be the "before" photo.

At 2:30 a.m. on May 1, 2012, just hours after the closing of O’Sheas, the casino’s seven-story parking garage was imploded. Sin City loves its implosions! And while it was just a parking garage, we’ll take it.

The implosion was the result of weeks of planning, and involved very technical demolition techniques this blog does not have time to research, so let’s just call it “painting on things.”

Off the record, what's so tough about imploding something? This blog could paint that.

Read up on closing day at O’Sheas, and learn more about the Linq.

This sign at O'Sheas now qualifies as false advertising.

In related parking news, you’re in for a jolt if you try to approach the nearby Imperial Palace the way you always have. The hotel’s valet entrance has been closed.

Let's face it, this entryway was always kind of a cluster. Yay, Linq project!

We’ve heard that part of a hotel referred to as a “porte-cochère,” but this blog is not that fancy. It’s the place you drive up to the hotel entrance and leave your car and stuff. “Porte-cochère” is French, by the way, and is pronounced, “We have no damn idea how it’s pronounced.”

Now, guests need to drive around back, probably through Harrah’s Las Vegas (the parking entrance, not the hotel itself, that would be rude), to find the new valet area and self-park garage.

It ain't pretty, but it'll do in a pinch.

More Linq news to come, assuming this blog’s brain doesn’t implode like a parking garage while trying to keep track of it all.

It was loud. It was liquored up. It was a little bit sad. Kind of like O’Sheas casino itself, come to think of it.

At noon on April 30, 2012, O’Sheas casino on the Las Vegas Strip closed its doors, and boisterous fans showed up in droves to knock back one last shot, to place one last bet and to express their appreciation to Brian Thomas (below), the casino’s shot-dispensing mascot, Lucky the Leprechaun.

One last time around the bar for Lucky.

As the clock ticked down on O’Sheas closing, customers and staff said their farewells, and spontaneous chants along the lines of “O’Sheas! O’Sheas! O’Sheas!” broke out throughout the casino. Hey, O’Sheas has always been about fun, not about rhyming. And, technically, “O’Sheas” rhymes with “O’Sheas,” so let’s move on.

The last hand of poker to be played at O'Sheas.

It was a bittersweet gathering for the most ardent fans of O’Sheas, as well as for its diminutive mascot. The closing of O’Sheas marks the end of a 23-year run for the beloved watering hole known for its low table minimums, cheap hooch, quirky entertainment, cheap hooch, beer pong and, oh yeah, the occasional hooch.

Roulette chips are counted and boxed up.

A new O’Sheas will open as part of The Linq in 2013, of course, but that didn’t seem to matter to those who turned up for the original’s last fling. O’Sheas T-shirts and shot glasses were distributed liberally, and die-hard players wagered until the bitter end.

This was the last spin of the roulette wheel at O'Sheas. We kind of don't want it to stop, and thanks to animated .gif technology, it doesn't have to.

Everywhere one turned, there was a last something. A last spin of the roulette wheel. A last hand of blackjack. A last hand of Strip Poker. (Because it’s played near The Strip. Why, what were you thinking?) A last game of beer pong. A last roll of the dice. (It was a seven. Isn’t it always?)

This blog is going to miss you most, O'Sheas craps table.

Fans also signed a memory wall. This blog feared it would be ruined because some nimrod scrawled his name across it during the casino’s final weekend, but there were so many more signatures that followed it, the new ones obscured the irksome one almost entirely. A photo of the wall will be installed in the new O’Sheas, a wink to the past and all the guests that has made O’Sheas so utterly unforgettable.

That's a lot of O'Sheas love.

It was gratifying to see such a genuine outpouring of love for O’Sheas during its waning moments. At one point, we calculated Lucky was being hugged at a rate of eight times per minute.

This blog is a big fan, Lucky.

Lucky got a little weepy right about the time this blog did, just before the doors closed and the “Caution” tape went up.

"Remodeling" should probably be in quotation marks.

That’s because O’Sheas was more than a casino. It had heart and character and an energy you can’t manufacture. And did we mention the cheap hooch?

Lucky will be fine! We just did this in black in white for dramatic effect.

Sure, change is good. But we get to grieve a little for a lost friend, too, right?

Here’s to the good times, the crazy times, the times we’re sort of glad we can’t quite remember. Here’s to O’Sheas.

This is it. The last hurrah for O’Sheas. The bawdy, boisterous casino closes at noon April 30, 2012.

In honor of O’Sheas closing, this blog thinks its mascot, Lucky the Leprechaun, deserves his own meme.

We’ll get things started.

We're just floating an idea here.

Here’s the original version of the photo in case you’d like to muck with it. Not sure what a meme is? Immediately exit your cave and read this.

Yes, we know this isn’t how memes start. We don’t care. Just have some fun and play along.

Fact.

To help with your meme image, visit Quickmeme.com. Choose “Make a Meme,” then “Upload New Meme.” Upload the photo of Lucky, then just add the funny. Post it somewhere (on Facebook, Twitter, wherever) and let us know where it is so we can check it out.

The longer you wait to join this meme, the more dumb jokes this blog's going to make.

Show Lucky some love!

Bust out your Impact font and do your worst (or best). Keep it clean! Oh, wait, it’s O’Sheas. Nevermind. Do whatever you want.

Share a link to your altered photo in the Comments section and if you make the cut, we’ll share your work with the world. It’ll be like fame, just without the groupies.

The hours until the closing of O’Sheas may be growing fewer (the beloved casino closes at noon on April 30, 2012), but if you move quickly, even if O’Sheas is gone, it won’t be forgotten.

We just learned O’Sheas has issued limited-edition (just 3,000 were produced) gaming chips commemorating the end of an era on the Strip.

Chip collectors, like this blog, lose their gourd over stuff like this.

The $5 chips, “Celebrating 23 Great Years,” haven’t been put into circulation, so you’ll need to visit the casino’s cashier cage to get one. Collectible chips like this don’t tend to last long at face value, so you’d better move it!

In other news, the entirely awesome Lucky the Leprechaun (real name: Brian Thomas), the mascot of O’Sheas, had a live online chat with his fans today, and we were there!

O'Sheas fans love them some Lucky.

Lucky assured his legions of fans that he’s not going anywhere. The next iteration of O’Sheas will be part of the $550 million dollar Linq project, an entertainment, retail and dining corridor set to open in 2013. Read more.

When asked by a chat participant how you close a casino like O’Sheas, Lucky responded, “With lots of police.” Nice!

Of course, all work and no play makes Lucky a dull boy, so he took advantage of the Flamingo Go Room (O’Sheas doesn’t have rooms) where the online chat was held.

Please note: This blog is not liable for injuries sustained while jumping on Las Vegas hotel beds.

Lucky’s going to be busy as the final days of O’Sheas tick by. He’s going to be working noon to midnight each day during the casino’s final weekend.

The “Final Countdown” celebration begins in earnest on April 28, starting at noon. Guests will be able to get discounted memorabilia and drink specials galore, and live entertainment will also be on tap.

Guests can be a part of O’Sheas history by signing a memory wall which will be photographed with Lucky and placed in the new O’Sheas inside the Linq.

Construction on the Linq is in full swing, a fact we confirmed by grabbing this pic from atop the monorail platform behind Imperial Palace. Yes, we had to purchase a monorail ticket, so, technically, this photo cost us $5. You’re welcome.

Vegas doesn't do anything on a small scale. Except Lucky. Wait, that didn't come out right.

There is so much going on with the Linq project, we can’t even keep up!

For example, an entire poker room at Imperial Palace is gone as of today. Well, not gone, moved (to near the hotel’s sports book). Nevertheless, the new wall pictured below seemed to go up overnight.

What just happened? The site of the former Imperial Palace poker room. Linq, you'd better be awesome, because you're creating some havoc on the Strip.

We couldn’t resist strolling through O’Sheas again. Especially because April 26 is National Pretzel Day. And the food court at O’Sheas, you know, sells pretzels. Don’t try to make sense of it. We’re very emotional about O’Sheas closing at the moment.

Yes, we'll even miss you, giant, dusty pretzel replica.

We’re also going to miss the lack of pretense at O’Sheas.

Which, given the photo below, may be the understatement of the last 23 years.

We're going to miss you, too, craps table duct tape.

So, yes, we have some mixed feelings about the demise of O’Sheas. If we can pull ourselves away from our gaming chip collection long enough, maybe we’ll add to our list of Things We’ll Miss When O’Sheas Closes.

Is this blog going to miss taking photos of little people in bath tubs? Oh, hell, yes.

Share your O’Sheas memories on the casino’s official Facebook page, and we’ll see you at O’Sheas. Actually, we’ll probably see three of you, but you know what we mean. It’s O’Sheas.

This just in: O’Sheas casino will knock back its last shot at noon on April 30, 2012.

A Las Vegas landmark takes one to the nads for progress.

If you and your miscreant friends were planning on being there for the end of O’Sheas casino, don’t wait until the evening of April 30, the beloved casino will have gone dark by then. O’Sheas is closing to make room for The Linq. Read more.

There are expected to be ample festivities surrounding the final countdown to the closing of O’Sheas (specifically, “lots of shots,” presumably to deaden the pain of the establishment’s untimely demise), so don’t miss out on the debauchery.

A must-have keepsake, courtesy of Vince Neil Ink at O'Sheas.

More details to come!

Share your O’Sheas memories, at least the ones you can remember, on Facebook.

Beer pong fans are about to hear some staggering news. See what we did there?

The era of beer pong at O’Sheas casino on the Las Vegas Strip (at least in its current form) has come to an end. In anticipation of the casino’s closing on April 30, as part of the massive Linq development project, beer pong has been discontinued inside the much-beloved watering hole.

The day the beer pong died: April 11, 2012.

The good news is that in Las Vegas, when one door closes, another opens. And in Sin City, that new door often has a ridiculous supply of frosty beverages and gambling nearby.

It appears another much-beloved casino, nearby Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon, will open a new beer pong area on April 13, 2012. Let the mostly-incoherent trash talk begin!

The next chapter in the Las Vegas beer pong saga may happen here. Or something.

The new beer pong area at Bill’s is adjacent to the also-new Slush Bar, so close, in fact, the beer pong tables will even be branded with “Slush Beer Pong” (see our exclusive, spectacularly clumsy tabletop rendering below).

The fact "Slush" contains the word "lush" is purely coincidental.

The Slush Beer Pong area is mere feet from the currently-being-revamped Bill’s Lounge, home of Big Elvis and other live entertainment.

Yes, we have a photo. A little demanding, aren’t you?

The reconfigured lounge at Bill's. There's even a kiosk for a 12-step program.

So, while we may have gotten a little weepy about the end of beer pong at O’Sheas, we’ll survive. We can take solace in the fact the new Linq will be entirely awesome, right? No pressure, The Linq.

Some good news: O’Sheas is offering $1 Miller Lite and Coors Lite drafts until the joint closes down. That should help soften the pain a little.

We breached security to capture the scene behind O’Sheas. This parking structure is coming down shortly following the closing of O’Sheas.

Progress never sleeps in Las Vegas.

Before the self-park garage closed, we took note of the demolition preparations, camerawise.

If this blog were going to demolish a parking structure, these are the markings we would make.

Yep, it’s getting all kinds of real up in here, as the kids say.

More news to come! There’s still time to knock one back at O’Sheas. Yeah, like anyone ever knocked just one back at O’Sheas.

Blondies Sports Bar & Grill, in The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, is a reliably good time, and Living Social is currently offering up a deal for $40 worth of food and drink for $20.

It’s likely O’Sheas casino will soon hand over the mantle of “Beer Pong Mecca” to Blondies, so you might as well give this deal a go to test the waters.

No apostrophe. Like Caesars Palace or Madame Tussauds.

The menu at Blondies features sandwiches and burgers, as well as the popular deep-fried mac ‘n’ cheese balls, homemade chili, pizza, Famous Beer Can Chicken, New York Strip and other hearty fare. There are 12,400 (rough estimate) flat-screen TVs to choose from (the largest being 12 feet wide), and the cheerleader-inspired waitress outfits are always worth a return visit. You know, if you’re into that kind of thing.

The 50%-off deal is good for a week (expires April 4, 2012). Go to Living Social for the details.

While you're at The Miracle Mile Shops, make sure to check out this giant model of the human gastrointestinal tract. Or something.

Need another reason to visit Blondies? Now through April 30, 2012, you could win an actual diamond when you order a cocktail from a special “Diamond Menu.” When guests order a cocktail, they get to choose a diamond out of a glass that also contains 5,000 decoy stones. If the chosen diamond is the real one, it’s a keeper, and a jewelry store, Designs by Zulema, will set the diamond free of charge.

The Diamond Menu includes the Carrot Cake Martini, Silhouette Martini, Sex in the City cocktail, Bubble Martini and Dulche Leche cocktail. All the drinks are $15.

There was a lot going on at O’Sheas casino on St. Patrick’s Day.

There was the rain that drove the block party inside. There was the revelry. There was the bittersweet reality this would perhaps be the last O’Sheas block party. There were the shamrock tattoos. And there was the debauchery. Yes, there was lots and lots of unbridled bauching.

When it comes to throwing a party, O'Sheas knows what it's doing.

As for the bittersweet part, O’Sheas will close on April 30, 2012 as part of the Linq development project. Casino officials did, however, take the opportunity to confirm O’Sheas won’t be going away forever, but rather, will have a spot of its own in the new Linq. Read more.

Thanks, guy who let us take a photo of his back.

O’Sheas devotees, including this blog, can take some comfort in the fact the new O’Sheas space in the Linq will stay true to the current O’Sheas feel, with a casual, unpretentious vibe, live music and, of course, beer pong.

See? Unpretentious.

Even torrential rain couldn’t moisten the spirits of St. Paddy’s day celebrants. Oh, just see for yourself. Warning: Repeated viewings of this video may cause pregnancy or other side effects.

The Dublin Up bar at O’Sheas, as well as the casino and beer pong area, were filled to capacity on St. Patrick’s Day, and Vince Neil Ink was doing brisk business as party-goers got shamrock tattoos to commemorate the occasion.

Nothing says, "I vaguely remember St. Patrick's Day at O'Sheas," like fresh ink.

We bumped into O’Sheas spokesperson Lucky the leprechaun, Brian Thomas, who seemed relieved his further employment is assured as part of the Linq. Lucky gets the rock star treatment when he roams the casino at O’Sheas, and always knows how to keep the party lively. (Hint: Free shots.)

Everybody wants to get Lucky in Vegas, but only O'Sheas has him.

Still, there’s no getting past the fact O’Sheas, as we know it, will be no more after April 30. We loved hearing from O’Sheas fans, many wearing “Save O’Sheas” T-shirts, about the things they’ll miss, most involving beer. Here are our 10 Things We’ll Miss When O’Sheas Closes.

You can share your O’Sheas memories on the O’Sheas Facebook page.

Green, check. Fuzzy, check. Hooch, check.

Enjoy more photos, which we, too, are surprised are even remotely in focus, from St. Patrick’s Day at O’Sheas in our exclusive gallery.

All good things must come to an end, and this time, that good thing is O’Sheas casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

The beloved casino will officially close its doors on April 30, 2012, to make way for The Linq, a development project that will change the face, and cleavage, of the Las Vegas Strip in a big way. (Yes, cleavage. It’s Las Vegas, after all.)

We heart you O'Sheas. In a fairly inappropriate way, if we're being completely honest.

Now, you’re allowed to have a sad face about O’Sheas closing. This blog certainly does. We spent many days and nights having a blast at O’Sheas, many of which we actually remember. Change can be rough. We got a little misty-eyed when the Stardust and Sahara closed their doors, too. Visiting the O’Sheas Facebook page, it’s clear a lot of people feel the way this blog does. We’re going to miss O’Sheas a lot.

Here, then, are our hastily-slapped-together “10 Things We’ll Miss About O’Sheas.”

1. Strip Poker

Where else can you play poker 12 feet from the Las Vegas Strip?

Poker while you people watch? Vegas heaven.

2. New Games

We love the way new casino games, like the craps hybrid Three Dice Football (below), have often been given their debut and trial run at O’Sheas. Soon, they’ll have to find a new testing ground.

We love dice newness.

3. Free Shows

The free entertainment on the stage near the Dublin Up bar has always been a big draw at O’Sheas. Whether it was the band Acoustic Soul, or the wacky “Rock and Roll Game Show,” free is always good, and good-free is even better.

Steve Brooks and Matt Phillips of the "Rock and Roll Game Show" will have to find a new place to make us do embarrassing things in public.

4. The Hooch

You hear the word “epic” used a lot these days. Sometimes, it fits. O’Sheas has always been known as a great place to get a cheap drink, including atmosphere galore. Show ‘em how to throw a party, Lucky!

Granted, the whistle we won’t miss. Moving on.

5. The Tats

One of the most popular tattoo shops in Vegas is Vince Neil Ink at O’Sheas. The shop will be closing along with the rest of O’Sheas, and folks at the shop haven’t heard anything about re-opening somewhere else any time soon. Ah, the slings and arrows and needles of outrageous fortune. Check out the tat our friend Max got at O’Sheas, and keep track of the Vince Neil Ink gang on Facebook.

Ow. But we're still sorry to see you go.

6. Soft Serve

Seriously, that soft serve at the Burger King inside O’Sheas was surprisingly awesome.

You miss what you want to miss, we'll miss what we want to miss.

7. Beer Pong

The suds. The competition. The trash talk. O’Sheas has always been the center of the beer pong universe. We’ll have to see where beer pong turns up next. Sin City is full of surprises.

Look at all the ball-handling jokes we're not making.

8. Dirk Arthur’s Cats

We’ve known some of magician Dirk Arthur’s cats since they were tykes. We trust they’ll find a new home soon.

Get a new gig soon, guys! All the raw meat isn't going to pay for itself.

9. Block Parties

Did we already use the word epic? The good news is The Linq is going to be a promenade likely to feel like a block party all day and night, every day and night. With a huge observation wheel in the mix, too.

The Linq probably won't have as much green.

10. Holly Madison Playing Beer Pong

Yeah, that was kind of a one-time thing, but like we said, you miss what you want to miss, and we’ll miss what we want to miss.

There are just so many things to love about O’Sheas, but there are great things on the horizon with The Linq, too. Read more about The Linq, a retail and entertainment complex set to open in 2013. See all our O’Sheas posts here.

Oh, and not to be a buzzkill, but there are 285 folks who will be laid off when O’Sheas closes. They knew it was coming, but that doesn’t make it suck any less, we suspect. Caesars Entertainment, the company that owns O’Sheas and a slew of other Las Vegas hotels, is working with the affected employees to hopefully find positions at other casinos in town. Ultimately, The Linq project will create 3,000 construction jobs and add 1,500 permanent, full-time jobs when it opens in 2013.

Further consolation: Brian Thomas, the aforementioned Lucky the Leprechaun, isn’t going anywhere from what we hear. He’ll be staying with Caesars Entertainment in some capacity, and we’ll bring you an update when we know what’s up.

Can we keep a brick or something?

Happier news? O’Sheas will host its last hurrah in the form of a St. Patrick’s Day block party on March 17, starting at noon and going until everyone’s livers are sufficiently tested. You haven’t partied in Vegas until you’ve done St. Patrick’s Day at O’Sheas.

So, let’s have one last blow-out, and see what’s next for the Las Vegas Strip. We’ll miss you, O’Sheas, but there are more great times ahead in Sin City. Share your favorite O’Sheas memories in the Comments section.

O’Sheas Las Vegas magician Dirk Arthur has welcomed a new member to his family of big cats, Shikira, a five-month old snow white Bengal tiger.

This blog just went from cute to ridiculously cute.

The tiger, which may actually break our adorable meter (they probably exist, just play along), was donated to Arthur’s breeding and education program from another program in the U.S.

Shikira was born in captivity, and will join Arthur’s show sometime in April after she’s acclimated to her new home.

Playtime at Dirk Arthur's place.

“Dirk Arthur’s Wild Magic” show at O’Sheas boasts some of the world’s rarest cats, and every show features an educational segment to raise awareness about the importance of preserving endangered species.

Arthur also makes himself available after his shows to answer questions about the cats.

Another picture-perfect member of Dirk Arthur's "Wild Magic" cast. Hello, Pinterest!

The theater at O’Sheas is what’s called “intimate” in the business, so audiences have the rare opportunity to be within 10 feet of leopards, tigers and lions. “Oh, my!” is right.

The Linq development project, set to transform the center of the Strip, could very well result in Dirk Arthur changing to a different, larger venue soon, so the opportunity to be this close to these amazing animals might not last. Our advice: Don’t wait.

Bonus: The show also happens to be one of the best ticket values in town, with prices at just $34.95 (and $44.95, VIP). Learn more about Dirk Arthur’s Wild Magic at O’Sheas Las Vegas.