Strand Hotel: Reminiscences

Strand Hotel, Portstewart: prospect from the golf links

A FRIEND OF THIS BLOG HAS KINDLY SENT FOND MEMORIES OF TIMES SPENT AT THE STRAND HOTEL, PORTSTEWART, AND THE NORTHERN COUNTIES HOTEL, PORTRUSH

I HAVE great memories of going to The Strand in the late 1970s/early 80s, when it was our regular haunt of a Saturday night.

Of course that was the heyday of disco, and there were no fewer than three separate dance floors - the most popular was the Cellar, which was accessed by an always-packed-with-people narrow staircase (not so much H&S or fire regulations in those days I suppose).

Then there was the upstairs disco frequented mostly by the young farmers, and another, more upmarket area at the other side of the hotel which seemed to us to be for a much older crowd ("older" to us then being people in their 30s).

Admission was £2, with a letter stamped on the back of the hand which was then widely copied using felt tip pens or eyeliner (and that wasn't just the girls - this was also the age of the New Romantics, don't forget).

As well as the discos they would have live music, and anyone who socialised on the North Coast in those days will have danced to Cuddles, or Plug Torrens and Dominic, legends in their own lifetimes.

Of course there were other great venues, not least Kelly's nightclub in Portrush and Spuds for live music in Portstewart, but The Strand will always hold a particular place in the affections of many, remembering that all this was happening at the height of "the Troubles", when any sort of apparent normality was welcome.

Not a comment on architecture or historical family lineages this time I'm afraid, Tim, just a fond memory of part of our more recent social history!

*****

I THINK it must have been 1989 or 1990 when it closed.

It was subsequently demolished for re-development, but the site then lay half-finished for years, until the local Council put a complete or demolish order on it in 2013.

Northern Counties Hotel, Portrush (Welch Collection/NMNI)

Another little nugget relating to the Strand's history - Jack Fawcett, who bought the hotel in partnership in 1963, also owned the old Northern Counties Hotel in Portrush.

It had started out life as The Antrim Arms, and when the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway purchased a share in it in the 1880s it was renamed.

The newly-named hotel was improved by John Lanyon in the late 1800s and by Berkeley Deane Wise in the early 1900s (Wise was chief architect to the railway company and his designs included the red brick and mock Tudor-style railway stations we see in Northern Ireland, the Portrush railway station being a fine example).

Those of us of a certain vintage will recall the big revolving entrance door of the Counties and the timber-panelled sitting room, where the two enormous resident Irish wolfhounds were usually to be found sprawled asleep and snoring in front of a roaring fire.

On warmer days they would invariably be found lying at the revolving door so that guests had to clamber over them on their way in or out.

The dogs were big genial creatures, and didn't seem at all put out by people interrupting their snoozing.

Both The Strand and the Northern Counties were the venues for many years for weddings, dinners and dances.

The Counties had an ornate grand ballroom on the first floor, where I recall taking dance classes (I can still produce a fair quickstep when the occasion demands, though unfortunately it is rather creakier these days) and a heated pool (up on the second floor I think?) where I learned to swim.

Sadly the old hotel was destroyed by fire in 1990.

The modern hotel now standing on the site makes a pleasant place for coffee.

Viscount's Coronet

The coronet of a viscount is a silver-gilt circlet with sixteen silver balls (known as pearls) around it.

The coronet itself is chased and embossed as if in the form of jewels (like a royal crown) with alternating oval and square jewel-shaped bosses, but is not actually jewelled.

It has a crimson velvet cap with lined ermine trim (the cap being purple in heraldic representation).

There is a gold-threaded tassel on top.

The sixteen pearls are what distinguishes the coronet of a viscount from other degrees of the Peerage.

The coronet of a viscountess (above) is smaller in size and sits on top of the head, rather than around it.

Like all heraldic coronets, it was customarily worn at coronations, but a viscount is entitled to bear a likeness of it on his coat-of-arms, above the shield.

Viscounts are peers of the fourth degree in the nobility, next in rank above a baron and below an earl.

First published in June, 2011.

Earl's Coronet

The coronet of an earl is a silver-gilt circlet with eight strawberry leaves alternating with eight silver balls (known as pearls) on raised spikes.

The coronet itself is chased as if in the form of jewels (like a royal crown) but is not actually jewelled.

It has a crimson cap (lined ermine) in real life and a purple one in heraldic representation.

there is a gold tassel on top.

The raised pearls on spikes distinguish it from other coronets.

It has also been described thus,

This coronet, which is one of the most striking, has, rising from a golden circlet, eight lofty rays of gold, each of which upon its point supports a small pearl, while between each pair of rays is a conventional leaf, the stalks of these leaves being connected with the rays and with each other so as to form a continuous wreath.

The coronet of a countess (below) is smaller in size and sits directly on top of the head, rather than around it.

Earls rank in the third degree of the hereditary peerage, being next below a marquess, and next above a viscount.

First published in June, 2010.

Jenkinstown House

THE BRYANS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY KILKENNY, WITH 8,209 ACRES

The immediate ancestor of this family,

JOHN BRYAN, of Kilkenny, was younger brother of James Bryan, of Bawnmore, and son of John Bryan, of Bawnmore (whose father, Lewis Bryan, had a grant from Thomas, Earl of Ormonde, of Whitewalls, alias Bawnmore, County Kilkenny, and died in 1568).

He married Anna, daughter and heir of Henry Stains, of Jenkinstown, County Kilkenny, and was father of

JAMES BRYAN, of Jenkinstown, County Kilkenny, 1673-4, father of

PIERCE BRYAN, of Jenkinstown, who wedded Jane, daughter of George Aylmer, of Lyons, County Kildare, and had issue,

JAMES, his heir;
George, of Portland Place, London; father of GEORGE, successor to his uncle;
Aylmer, Brigadier in the French Service;
Pierce;
Alice; Rose; Mary.

The eldest son,

JAMES BRYAN (1719-1805), of Jenkinstown, died unmarried, and was succeeded by his nephew,

GEORGE BRYAN (1770-1843), of Jenkinstown, who wedded, in 1794, Maria Louisa, Comtesse de Rutaut, daughter of the Comte de Rutaut, of Lorraine, and left at his decease a daughter, Mary, and a son and successor,

GEORGE BRYAN (1796-1848), of Jenkinstown, who espoused, in 1820, Margaret, daughter of William Talbot, of Castle Talbot, County Wexford, and had issue,

GEORGE LEOPOLD;
Augusta Margaret Gwendaline, m Edward Joseph, 2nd Baron Bellew.

The second surviving son was GEORGE LEOPOLD BELLEW BRYAN, of Jenkinstown.

George Bryan was succeeded by his only son,

GEORGE LEOPOLD BRYAN JP DL (1828-80), of Jenkinstown, MP for County Kilkenny, 1865-80, High Sheriff of County Kilkenny, 1852, who married, in 1849, the Lady Elizabeth Georgina Conyngham, daughter of Francis Nathaniel, 2nd Marquess Conyngham KP, and had one daughter, Mary Margaret Frances, who died in 1872.

Mr Bryan was succeeded by his nephew,

GEORGE LEOPOLD BELLEW-BRYAN JP DL, 4TH BARON BELLEW (1857-1935), of Jenkinstown, Lord-Lieutenant of County Louth, 1898-1911, who assumed the surname of BRYAN in lieu of BELLEW, by royal licence dated 1880.

JENKINSTOWN HOUSE, Ballyragget, County Kilkenny, was an early 19th century house in "pasteboard Gothic", following the traditional Palladian plan of a centre block joined to wings by  single-storey links.

The house was built for Major George Bryan to the design of William Robertson.

There is a two-storey centre block; a two-storey projecting porch crowned with a battlemented gable and pinnacles; two-storey end towers with quatrefoil windows.

Jenkinstown House (Image: Savill's)

Later in the 19th century, one of the wings was re-built with corbelled bartizans; and the centre block was demolished apart from one of its walls.

The 4th Lord Bellew lived in one wing of the house; his staff in the other.

By the 1930s, the house had become somewhat dilapidated.

First published in December, 2012.

Kelly's Cellars, Belfast

Kelly's Cellars, Bank Street, Belfast ca 1960 (Image: eBay)

Much has already been written about Kelly's Cellars, the celebrated public house located at 30-32, Bank Street in Belfast.

I propose, nevertheless, to condense some of the more salient and relevant information relating to that notable establishment.

Bank Street, as it is now called, is (or was) one of the oldest and most historic streets in Belfast.

It runs from 2, Royal Avenue, to Chapel Lane, where it terminates at St Mary's Church.

This street is shown in Thomas Phillips' 1685 map of central Belfast as a lane veering off from Castle Street, with houses lining it on each side.

It was once known as Bryce's Lane; Crooked Lane or simply Back of the River; Cunningham Row; Bank Lane; and today as Bank Street.

Thomas Phillips' 1685 map of central Belfast

The crooked bend in the lane, caused by Kelly's Cellars, appears in a 1757 plan.

Whereas it is generally accepted by historians that the present building dates from at least 1780, buildings existed here in 1685; so proprietors' claims that the premises were established in 1720 could well be true.

Doubtless Kelly's Cellars is the oldest public bar in Belfast.

McHugh's Bar, at Queen's Square, is an older building, said to date from ca 1711; though it did not operate as a public house until the 19th century. 

White's Tavern, according to Historic Buildings Branch, "probably dates from the late 18th century;" the date of 1630 "does not necessarily refer to the construction of a building on the current site but is most likely derived from the granting of a continuous tavern licence which was not restricted to a particular area or building."

The first recorded tenant of Kelly's Cellars, about 1830, was Hugh Kelly, a wine and spirit merchant.

Kelly leased the premises from Robert Stewart, who administered the estate on behalf of Captain William Mussenden, of Larchfield, County Down (the Mussendens were prosperous bankers in Belfast, and owned property in and around Bank Street).

Hugh Kelly died in 1871 at his residence in Holywood, County Down.

A painting of Bank Street drawn in 1920 by Frank McKelvey

Following Hugh Kelly's death the premises were leased by Young, King, and Co.

Kelly's Cellars was damaged during the Belfast blitz in 1941, and purchased from the Mussenden Estate in 1942 by James Tohill of the Tohill Vino wine company.

Jimmy Tohill carried out more alterations to the bar's interior, when a cocktail bar was opened upstairs in 1948, followed by the Tudor Lounge in 1954.

Kelly's Cellars was sold for £43,000 in 1961 (equivalent to about £800,000 in 2024) to Kevin O'Kane.

Bank Street, Belfast, with whitewashed Kelly's Cellars, ca 1973,
Image: Guy Butler Slides Archive, History Hub Ulster

Croft Inns, a division of Guinness and Co., purchased Kelly's Cellars as well as the Fountain Tavern in 1972.

Lily Mulholland and Martin O’Hara bought Kelly's Cellars in 2004 and are the current proprietors.

Bank Street entry for 1974
Click to Enlarge

The historic buildings department of the Northern Ireland Department for Communities remarks in its general comments:-

"Two-storey painted brick public house perhaps c1720 but definitely constructed by 1757. It is reputed to be the oldest public house in Belfast and an impression of this character survives, despite extensive alterations. However, more recent changes and renovations have resulted in the loss of most historic fabric and detailing and have compromised its historic and architectural interest."

"Although no longer a Georgian, or even Victorian, public house, it is of historic significance due to its strong connection to the 1798 Rebellion and the continuous presence of the public house in this location from the time of the early development of the city."

The Lobster Pot

I WROTE THIS PIECE ABOUT THE LOBSTER POT RESTAURANT BAR IN AUGUST, 2008, AS RECOLLECTIONS OF THE LOBSTER POT DURING THE 1970s.

I HAVE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF MESSAGES SINCE THEN. THERE IS CLEARLY A MEASURE OF SENTIMENT ABOUT THE OLD PLACE. I'M PUBLISHING THE ARTICLE AGAIN, FOR THE BENEFIT OF NEW READERS. 

STRANGORD, COUNTY DOWN, IS ONE OF THE MOST PICTURESQUE VILLAGES IN NORTHERN IRELAND.

HERE HE GOES again, I hear you groaning. Timothy Belmont has wandered down Memory Lane and dived into the pond of Nostalgia.

I am, after all, permitted a spot of nostalgia now and again.

Heaven knows how many gallons of gin I have consumed since the mid-seventies; a fair amount of it within the walls of the revered Lobster Pot in the picturesque village of Strangford, County Down. 

Those were the days indeed.

A perfect day started with the sun rising and waking me from my slumber very early on a Saturday or Sunday at Castle Ward.

Our boat, the Dolphin, was ship-shape and ready for action.

The tide was right and a day was spent on Strangford Lough, the sea as calm as a mill-pond, perhaps visiting an island and having an Ulster Fry or fillet steak - from Duffy the butcher - whilst basking in the sunshine.

Incidentally, the Hon William and Mrs Ward (now the Viscount and Viscountess Bangor [Sarah Bradford]) beat us to it, on one occasion, by buying a whole fillet of beef, thereby leaving young Duffy with nothing. 

They were served just before us in the shop.

Evenings were invariably spent in the Lobster Pot.

Here are some memories of that wonderful place:-

• Driving down in our Mums' Minis, with petrol costing 70 pence a gallon
• Celebrating exam results in the lounge-bar
• The lounge-bar was carpeted, with brown or blue velour buttoned banquettes lining the walls and down the centre too, crescent-shaped
• Memorabilia on the walls like stuffed game-birds in cabinets, a ship's wheel, port and starboard lights, a lobster-pot, lifebelts
• A telly high up in a corner & inconspicuous
• Spirits served in french-style wine glasses
• Really large, fresh scampi - langoustines - & chips cost £3.65; tartare sauce in minute, sealed plastic packs but...
• In the Dining-room sauces were served in stainless-steel dishes with spoons
• A grand a la carte menu enclosed within a leather padded A4-size folder
• The main menu was exhaustive in terms of choice; vegetables ranged from asparagus tips to sweetcorn or cauliflower, fresh peas, sauté mushrooms, leeks - almost everything
• The main dining-room was at the front and a second one was at the rear
• Great staff like Ann the head waitress and Jim the bar manager, both defecting to the rival across the Square when Walter became Mine Host
• Two pretty waitresses in the bar in 1976 when I was sixteen and I fancied Julie. I sent her a Valentine card and addressed the envelope to "Julie the Sensuous Barmaid". Julie, if you're reading this now you know the secret; I know it's been preying on your mind for thirty years (!)
• The Chicken Maryland was great; my favourite dinner was scampi, french-fried potatoes, french-fried onion rings, asparagus tips, perhaps sauté mushrooms too
• We ate in the main dining-room occasionally; it was a toss-up between the LP or Aldo's in Ardglass (the late Samuel (Sammy) Crooks, a former Dean of Belfast, always recalled Aldo's green curtains!).

I have written about our last meal here.

I still hold many fond memories of former times spent there with friends and family in the 1970s and 80s.

First published in 2008.

Belfast DLs

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY LIEUTENANTS

Dame Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle DBE, Lord-Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast, has been pleased to appoint:-

Mr Shane Quinn BEM
Belfast

Mr Richard James Gregg Yarr MBE
Belfast

To be Deputy Lieutenants of the County Borough, their Commission bearing date the 1st day of March 2024.

Signed: Dame Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle DBE DStJ DDL