Grace Neills

33 High Street
Donaghade
Co. Down
BT21 0AH
Northern Ireland

History

Famously known as the oldest pub in Ireland, this old inn dates back to as far as 1611 when it was known as The King’s Arms. The pub was renamed to Grace Neills in 1818 due to a former landlady of that name who is remembered today for being a passionate landlady and warm character. The pub, over the years, has hosted many famous names such as the aristocrat Peter the Great, the composer Franz Liszt and poet John Keats.

Paranormal Activity

It is said that Grace’s spirit still lives on in the pub and unexplained events are rife in the building from that of glasses moving by their own accord, electrical items switching on by themselves and the creaking of floorboards leading to the sighting of an actual Victorian lady surrounded by a mist. Perhaps the old spirits of long gone smugglers and horse thieves still walk the rooms of this old inn as Donaghadee was once the main sea port to both the Isle of Man and Portpatrick in Scotland.

Dobbins Inn Hotel

6-8 High Street
Carrickfergus
Country Antrim
Northern Ireland

History

Dobbins is one of Ireland’s oldest pubs and was built by the Norman Knight Reginald D’Aubin in the early 13th Century. The John Paul Jones Lounge Bar is named after the American Privateer who fought the British fleet in Carrickfergus Bay in 1778. The building is also home to its own priest hole and the building over the years has been used as a family castle, a townhouse, a gaol, an armoury as well as a hotel.

Paranormal Activity

A tale haunts this pub of that of Maud and Button-Cap from the 17th Century. Maude was a broken hearted woman who is said to now haunt the corridors of this old Inn, stroking the faces of the guests who sleep there.

Crown Bar Liquor Saloon

46 Great Victoria Street
Belfast
BT2 7BA
Northern Ireland

History

This wonderfully preserved Victorian Gin Palace was once perhaps the greatest of its kind and is still cherished and used by the people of Belfast. Owned now by the National Trust in 1978 this bar has been restored to its original splendour and dates back to 1826 when the first train ran from Belfast to Lisburn. Owned by Felix O’Hanlon, it was known then as the Railway Tavern.

Paranormal Activity

Many tales of woe haunt this old tavern like that of the prostitute Amelia who lost her life here. Her presence is often felt within the corridors. Strange lights and other bizarre activity have also been recorded here.