The Guinness still flows from the taps at 33 Orange Avenue. Little else has changed for that matter, but visitors to the popular Irish pub will notice one huge difference: Gary Sweeney is no longer behind the bar.

Since August 16, Sweeney’s Irish Pub is now owned and operated by Jon and Jun Bruschi. Sweeney, who took over the Walden establishment in 1997, has returned home to his native Ireland.

Sweeney came to the United States in 1989 from the village of Ramelton in Donegal, Ireland. Sweeney first lived in Yonkers before moving to Walden, where he took over the former Freehill’s Tavern, rechristening it Sweeney’s Irish Pub & Restaurant on Orange Avenue.

In 2002, the original bar was destroyed by fire. With the help and support of new friends in Walden, Sweeney’s was rebuilt. Local architect Sam Liebman designed a building meant to look like a traditional Irish pub. It re-opened in 2004.

The new owners have promised to continue the tradition of their predecessor.

“Nothing will change,” said Jon, “the menu will remain the same, and the appearance will stay the exact same.”

He did add that they might add some local wines to the menu, but it will always be an Irish pub.

Jon is a Walden native born and raised in the village. In 1997, he enrolled at Charleston South Carolina College to study business information systems and computer science. After graduation, he took a job with an energy firm that sent him to Tokyo.

That’s where he met Jun, a Tokyo native, a fashion editor who had worked temporarily in the restaurant industry.

As a family, they relocated to Hong Kong for four years, then to Australia for five years before returning to Walden. Jon and Jun quit their professions and wanted to begin a fresh chapter with their family. Their plan was to find jobs in the city. In December, he returned to his hometown and accompanied a friend into the local pub.

The date sticks in his mind. It was December 10 that he learned the place was for sale, and that’s when he first thought about purchasing Sweeney’s.

It is a homecoming of sorts for Jon. His great-grandfather settled in Walden in the 1920s, and his aunt Teresa Corsel has lived there all her life and worked at the Thruway Market. His grandfather, he says, was a regular at Freeholds.

The Sweeney’s crew has remained constant and the new owners report that the staff is quite supporting. Their first day on the job was greeted with open arms and encouragement.

Sweeney’s is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., every Friday and Saturday until midnight, and every Sunday until 10:30 p.m.