The three Wetherspoons pubs in Northern Ireland and the fascinating history behind them

• There are only three Wetherspoons across Northern Ireland
• Five Wetherspoons pubs in Northern Ireland were sold in 2016
• The remaining pubs have a fascinating history - from former funeral warehouses to Victorian dwellings

Northern Ireland is a beautiful area of the UK, with an interesting history.

There are only three JD Wetherspoons pubs in Northern Ireland, in the areas of Belfast, Carrickfergus and Newtownards. 

Despite only having three Wetherspoons pubs across the whole area of Northern Ireland, the remaining three have fascinating histories behind them. 

The Bridge House, Belfast

The Bridge House in Belfast gets its name from The Old Dublin Bridge over the Blackstaff which stood near the premises of the pub. The site itself was once two separate buildings, one of which was a ‘funeral furnishers and furniture removers’ warehouse built around 1865. The second building was another warehouse built a few years later in 1868 for a ‘fancy box manufacturer’. 

The Central Bar, Carrickfergus

The site of The Central Bar in Carrickfergus was previously known as Chandler’s Restaurant from late 1996. However it previously held the same name - the Central Bar since World War II. The area of Carrickfergus itself has a rich history, home to Carrickfergus Castle which has been occupied since it was built in the 12th century, before becoming a historic monument in 1928.

The Spirit Merchant, Newtownards

The Spirit Merchant in Newtownards was formerly two Victorian dwellings, which were later combined. The pub gets its name from Thomas Rountree, a “Spirit Merchant” who was listed at the address from 1950 until the 1980s. Once the venue was transformed into a public house it held the name the Jolly Judge public house, due to being next door to a courthouse. 

Why are there only three JD Wetherspoons pubs left in Northern Ireland?

As reported by The Irish Times in 2016, JD Wetherspoons sold five of its Northern Ireland pubs to family run businesses. While some of the pubs remain open and operate as public houses, they are no longer under the Wetherspoons name. 

The pubs which were previously owned by JD Wetherspoons included The Old Courthouse in Coleraine, The Spinning Mill in Ballymena, The Linen Hall in Enniskillen, The Diamond in Derry and The Ice Wharf in Derry. 

JD Wetherspoons did not specify the reason for selling the pubs at the time.