24. The Gluepot

By far the oldest public house in the city of Derry is the Gluepot, near the bottom of Shipquay Street.
Its history stretches back to before the siege, to 1684 to be exact, when it operated as an inn, fulfilling the three requirements necessary to obtain its inn licence at that time, namely permission to sell punch, sleeping accommodation, and stabling for the horses.

Its original name was The River Inn, the name now assumed by the brand-new lounge downstairs.
The Gluepot title was brought over from London by an earlier proprietor after a celebrated pub near the Thames.

Two walls of the bar are lined with a formidable collection of wine bottles, donated by hotels from all over the north, and these include some very valuable labels.
Downstairs, the exit of the superb new lounge runs to the castle.

Here you’ll find a large beaten copper plaque showing in historically accurate form the Derry of the time of the siege, and also a large mirror imprinted with a map of the city showing the street names and layout of the city in 1690.

On the subject of street names, one-half of Shipquay Street at the end of the 17th century was called Silver Street.

You see, it’s not only pubs that change their names over the years.