76 Main St, Cullybackey, Ballymena BT42 1BW A John Betjamin poem ‘The Village Inn’ ends with these words; Hurrah hurrah for hearts of oak, Away with inhibitions, For here’s a place to sit and soak In sanitary conditions. The poet had no particular village inn in mind but when you visit the pub of that […]

9 Dunluce Rd, Bushmills BT57 8QG [Photo: The Bushmills Inn, Bushmills — beside the turf fire.] The home of the world’s oldest whiskey distillery, Bushmills also can proudly present a superb pub which bears the name of the town and its famous product. The Bushmills Inn is a recently restored coaching inn, formerly THE ANTRIM […]

241 Whitepark Rd, Dunseverick, Bushmills BT57 8SP [Photo: Framed vintage Gallaher’s cigarette advertisement, McBride’s Bar, Lisnagunogue.] Elsewhere in this book you can read about the smallest bar in the north, McBride’s of Cushendun. By concidence there’s another pub of tiny proportions which is also known as McBride’s, but this time the location is not so […]

75 Castle Street Ballycastle BT54 6AS [Photo: Antrim Arms Hotel, Ballycastle.] Over 200 years ago, the leading figure in the town of Ballycastle was Alexander Boyd, the grandson of colonel Hugh Boyd whose family owned the property on which the town stood. The Boyds were nothing if not energetic, and were responsible for most of […]