99. The Old Commercial Bar

Just a few doors down from the Ardglass Arms is The Old Commercial Bar, a gleaming white and black building with colourful window boxes. The small window above the entrance door has the name Mulheron’s Hotel on it.

Joe Mulheron, who married Agnes Magee, was the grandfather of the present owner, Ronan Fitzsimmons. But it was Ronan’s great-grandfather, John Magee, who was the first of the generation to set up business in this old building back in 1821, when he rented the old Inn from William Ogilvey (who was a tutor to the Earl of Kildare).

He eventually purchased it in 1911, when the Beauclerk family, who owned most of Ardglass, were declared bankrupt. Strangely enough, since 1821, all the children of the various marriages have produced girls, with the exception of one solitary baby boy who died in childbirth.

The present owners, Ronan and his charming wife Monica, have three girls. It ceased being a hotel back in 1950, although the 6 bedrooms above are still there untouched. Immediately you enter this homely little pub, you can feel its lovely archaic atmosphere. As one would expect, there is a solid mahogany bar counter, and behind it three large stained barrels which at one time contained Rum, Irish, and Scotch Whisky.

Above us, a magnificent spruce-beamed ceiling continues right through the downstairs area, whilst to our left is a solid Mourne granite fireplace. Ronan holds down two jobs: by day, he is none other than the Chief Executive of the Harbour Board for Northern Ireland, while in the evening he is the host of this delectable old bar. From 1955 to 1971 Ronan sailed the seven seas with the Merchant Navy.

He admits to being a collector of bits and pieces and some of these can be seen scattered around the bar like the unusual brass swinging ship’s candle from the Anchor line that rights itself no matter what the position of the ship.

At the same time, the candle is spring orientated . . very clever. There is a large model of a Fiji boat picked up in the South Seas; shells and corals; inlaid mother-of-pearl ivory plaques from an orphanage in Egypt; a cabinet full of presentation and commemorative glasses. To the rear of the public bar, a door will lead you into a small, tastefully furnished lounge.

Monica surprised me when she told me it was built 19 years ago. It has an old-fashioned dignity feel about it, and of course, the various pieces of antiques add to the flavour like the two old gleaming oil lamps; two ebony inlaid plaques from India, and, of course, the magnificent grandfather clock which originally came from Ardglass Castle.

Everything about this pub is meticulous, from the friendly welcome right down to the spick and-span toilets.

As I said, you can always judge management by the state of its toilets. It’s a super little pub – don’t miss it.