SHEBEEN

Chiefly in Ireland and Scotland, a 'shebeen' is an illicit bar or club where excisable alcoholic beverages are sold without a licence. The Celtic term "Shebeen" is also common for such establishments in southern Africa where they are run by local people. In Namibia, such an establishment is known as a Cuca Shop.
In America, the word shebeen saw general use by Irish immigrants who worked in the anthracite patches of Pennsylvania. One of the leaders of the Molly Maguires was a shebeen-keeper, hanged in Scranton.
The word is of Irish origin, spelt ''síbín'' in Irish Gaelic, though its etymology is obscure.
The Shebeen was the name of the Rolling Stones backstage area, and it is the name of Keith richards Lewis' Maltese.