Situated on the Ormeau Road, The Errigle Inn opened its doors on Friday 13th December 1935.
Built on the foundations of the ‘Old Ballynafeigh Inn’ or as was popularly known ‘The Miss Blacks’, the earliest definite record of a public house on this site dates back to the 1800’s. The Errigle Inn was originally owned by Charlie McQuade, who also owned The Ava bar in Bangor and the Strand bar in Berry Street Belfast. He opened The Errigle Inn with TJ McGurran as the 1st manager. The bar has grown substantially since then. In 1935 the premises consisted of The Public bar and The Bar Parlour which later became the TV room. There are various stories about why The Errigle Inn came to have its name. Some people believe that it is named after Mount Errigal in Donegal, this is not true. The real story is that is named after the town land in Co. Monaghan where Mrs McQuade originated from.
The Errigle Inn is steeped in history and many of the locals will reminisce and tell stories from over the years. In the 60s there was a petrol station on the site of the current Pinewood Bar. This was developed into the Pinewood bar in the late 1970s
In 1998 the bar underwent refurbishments. During this work the original 1935 date stone was rediscovered hidden in a wall. The existence of the date stone was known but its exact location was to be determined. It has since been restored and put back on display at the front of the building.
Walking around the Errigle you pick up a sense of the history, character and charm. In the Pinewood bar there are many of the old photos on the wall showing the petrol pumps outside and how the Errigle looked through the years. Also you will also find some framed collections of old beer taps, cork screws and other bar memorabilia.
Tom McGurran’s Bar was built as a tribute to TJ McGurran in 1998.
The table tops in Tom McGurrans are made from South African railway sleepers that were produced using Australian Eucalyptus. It is believed that the wood is over 300 years old. You will also find display cabinets around the bar that house some of the old charms.
Upon entering the Oak Lounge you will be greeted with original art deco glasswork on the doors, the stunning furniture and the original Irish Oak wooden floor. The story goes that TJ McGurran had stayed up all night polishing the wooden floor by hand. He was very proud of his work and was ready for business the following morning. It started to snow outside and Belfast was covered. This didn’t stop the customers from finding their way to The Errigle Inn. It did not take too long for the polished floor to be loose its sheen. This was not the first time this had happened, so TJ decided enough was enough and he purchased a carpet. A carpet remained over the wooden floor up to 2007 when we decided it was time for the wooden floor to be seen again.
The chairs and tables in The Oak Lounge are original Lloyd Loom furniture. It has been re-covered on a few occasions and has stood the test of time. From the 1930’s Lloyd Loom furniture was used in Royal Yachts, Ocean Liners and the Royal boxes at Henley, Wimbledon and Twickenham and in tea-rooms and hotels around the country. Every home wanted its Lloyd Loom pieces. The Oak Lounge, opened on 11th December 1936, the day King George VI was crowned. In 1940, disaster struck. The Lloyd Loom factory in Bow in East London was hit in a Luftwaffe raid and destroyed. Fortunately it was a Saturday and no-one was injured but it was the end of large scale Lloyd Loom furniture manufacture in the UK until it was resurrected in Spalding 40 years later. The original Oak Lounge furniture is still used to this day.
The Errigle Inn was the 1st bar in Belfast to receive an Entertainments license. Music and entertainment is at the heart of The Errigle Inn, with various artists performing here over the years. The Errigle Inn has been at the forefront of the Belfast entertainment scene. Philip McGurran introduced many bands who performed throughout the premises.
Throughout the years and under the management of TJ McGurran and Philip McGurran, the premises underwent a series of changes, expansions and refurbishments. Today the Errigle Inn remains traditional and we continue with the pathway set by TJ McGurran and Philip McGurran.
