Central Bar

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Northern Ireland - Irvinestown

Three star - A pub interior of exceptional national historic importance

Listed Status: Not listed

38 Main Street
Irvinestown
BT94 1GJ

Tel: (028) 6862 1249

Bus: Yes

View on: Whatpub

Behind the modest yellow facade of this popular drinkers’ pub lies a really impressive Victorian interior. The pub was refitted in 1895 and has been in the Reihill family since 1924. There is a tiny snug right of the entrance for off-sales and taking a discreet drink. It is has service via a ticket booth-style opening. In the main bar not only are the walls panelled but so is the ceiling (high at the front, low at the back), thus creating a very distinctive warm atmosphere. There is a huge Cantrell & Cochrane advertising mirror plus other smaller ones. Set behind the 25ft -long counter are four mighty barrels, set vertically and which are thought to have last dispensed spirits in 1953. On the left-hand wall is an annunciator box for the staff in times past to see where table service was required. Behind is a another, smaller room (no doubt the ‘Back Room’ mentioned on the annunciator box) and which is also fully panelled. Further back still is another room brought into use in relatively modern times. On the left is a moderately large ‘sitting room’ (now coffee room), also named on the annunciator box.
Behind the modest bright yellow painted façade of this long-popular town-centre pub lies a very impressive Victorian interior. It was refitted in 1895 and has been in the Reihill family since 1924. The front right hand door has a vestibule entrance and a door in the part glazed partition on the right side leads to a superb tiny snug for discreet drinking which also doubles as the off sales. It has a tiny hatch for service from the end of the servery, a bench attached to the partition walls, but modern tiled floor.

The public bar has a high ceiling near the entrance and more standard height one at the rear and there are a number of old mirrors advertising different drinks including a huge Cantrell & Cochrane's one. The bar has both tongue-and-groove panelled walls and panelled ceiling. It has an impressive 25ft-long continuous counter. The splendid bar-back fitting has four mighty spirit barrels, which is thought to have last dispensed spirits in 1953.

On the left-hand wall is a bell and annunciator box for the staff in times gone by to see where table service was required in the other rooms – it has ‘Sitting Room’, ‘Bar Parlour’ and ‘Back Room’ windows. The bar has a modern tiled floor. The front left door leads to a sparse room with a wood-block floor, panelled dado and has a bell-push. Behind the main bar is a smaller room (no doubt the 'Back Room' on the annunciator box) which is also fully panelled. Further back still there are a couple of rooms that have been brought into use in recent years, one of which was formerly the kitchen.

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