54°38′31″N 5°32′13″W / 54.642°N 5.537°W / 54.642; -5.537 Grace Neill's, in the town of Donaghadee, Northern Ireland, is "one of Ireland's oldest pubs" and was opened in 1611.[1]

History

The pub was opened in 1611 as the King's Arms. According to family tradition, Grace Neill was given the pub as a wedding gift from her father. Neill was a well-known figure in Donaghadee and owned the bar until her death in 1916. The pub was renamed in her honour.[2][3]

Russian Czar Peter the Great, poet John Keats and novelist Daniel Defoe are all said to have visited the pub.[2][3]

Present day

Situated on High Street, the small bar has stone flooring and beams that were constructed from ship timber, both of which are original to the building, and antiques and memorabilia displayed around its interior.[4]

Grace Neill's has the oldest known pub deeds in Ireland,[5] and is sometimes listed alongside other Irish pubs (including Sean's Bar in Athlone) as the "oldest licensed pub in Ireland".[6][2][3]

In 2010, Grace Neill's was featured in the Michelin Eating Out In Pubs guide.[2][3]

References

  1. ↑ "About Us". graceneills.com. Grace Neill's. Retrieved 26 August 2021. Grace Neills is considered to be one of Ireland's oldest pubs
  2. 1 2 3 4 Sweeney, Joanne (7 July 2015). "Ireland's oldest pub Grace Neill's to reopen in in(sic) Donaghadee". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Young, David (28 March 2015). "Historic pub forced to call time: Grace Neill's pub in Donaghadee shuts over 'unforeseen fault'". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  4. ↑ Johnson, Margaret M. (1 February 2013). The Irish Pub Cookbook. Chronicle Books LLC. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-4521-2679-1.
  5. ↑ "Oldest and most charming pubs in Ireland". IrishCentral.com. www.irishcentral.com. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  6. ↑ "Grace Neill's: Welcome to Ireland's most haunted bar, home to an "evil" spirit-- and we don't mean whiskey". Irish Post. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2021. Grace Neill's bar in County Down, built in 1611, claims to be the oldest bar in Ireland. That claim is disputed [..by,.] Sean's Bar in Athlone
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