Finnigan's Wake became so popular so fast that it is hard to remember a time when it was not an integral part of the City of Brotherly Love. Tales are told that Benjamin Franklin himself originated the idea of an authentic Irish pub in the environs of Northern Liberties, where immigrants from the Emerald Island settled once those pesky Brits were dealt with. Leave it up to Old Ben to roll out the welcome mat, but what else would you expect from a man who said ''Beer is living proof that God loves us?''