Pub engulfed in flames ‘was the heart of our community’

Flames engulfed The Lewis in Dundonald some time before 8.15am today, forcing the closure of the upper Newtownards Road – a major arterial route in and out of the city – as fire crews blocked the road and a large plume of smoke billowed over the area.

At the height of the blaze, 30 firefighters and seven fire engines were involved, and the fire brigade said that it was expected to continue tackling the incident into Thursday night.

TrafficWatchNI warned of long delays during the morning (made worse by a collision at Dundonald High School), and warned that as of 5pm, one of the two citybound lanes remained closed.

The pub stands just in front of the Ulster Hospital, and the South Eastern Health Trust had warned staff and visitors to be aware of disruption.

To its rear is a hilly park, and locals gathered there to watch the bar burn.

As firefighters doused the crackling building with water, the flames visibly began spreading to the roof of a neighbouring terraced house.

The home was for sale, and bystanders said it was believed to have been unoccupied. It is not believed anybody was hurt.

However, a string of residents told the News Letter that the pub has been a pivotal part of the largely unionist neighbourhood for generations.

Building contractor Roy McGimpsey, aged 70, helped build an extension onto the pub years ago.

“It’s been there an awful long time,” he said. “It’s been there since granny was a girl. It’s just another historic building in Dundonald has gone.”

James McWha, a 60-year-old baker, said that it used to be called Tom’s Cabin decades ago, and claimed it was formerly the ‘local’ of Coronation Street star Charles Lawson.

It had later changed its name to The Moat, before changing again within the last several years to The Lewis.

The last planning application for the site (for an off-licence in 2014) listed the pub’s owners as Osiris Bars Ltd, based in Massey Avenue in the east of the city, and run by a trio of Belfast-based directors.

Locals said the pub had bars on two floors and a restaurant upstairs.

Mr McWha said: “It’s lovely upstairs. I was in it the week before. It’s a shame, it’s a real shame.”

Jack Kerry, aged 24, was expecting to go for a pint there with some friends at 2pm today – then saw the blaze.

A customer service advisor who has just moved back to the area after years away, he said: “It’ll be sorely missed.

“It’s where everybody went to meet, watch football, play pool. It’s the heart of the community round here. It was busy – especially at weekends, during Rangers games, everything like that. Hopefully they’ll bring it back.”

Uel Finlay, a 67-year-old Christian evangelist, said: “My son’s girlfriend works here so she’ll be out of a job for a while.

“It’ll be a big loss.”

And whilst Norah Ryan, 75, said that she had not liked the bar’s change of style in recent years, it holds fond memories for her. “I used to go there every other week for a meal. My daughter and I used to go there for Mother’s Day. We loved it.

“It’s amazing – I can’t believe it.”

The police said it was a matter for the fire brigade. At time of writing, the exact cause of the blaze was unconfirmed.