Ballyvessey, Newtownabbey

At a superficial glance this little pub might seem like many another scattered about the province which you would think couldn’t find their way into this book, but you would be wrong in this particular case. Even today, to look at this quiet little pub, who would have thought that at the concluding years of the last century this was one of the most infamous pubs in the county. It was then called BALLYVESSEY SPIRIT GROCERS (founded in 1820), a haunt for local rowdies and troublesome journeymen on their way back from fairs and markets in Belfast and surrounding areas. The police were often called out to break up fights so it’s no wonder that no decent person would be caught dead anywhere near it.

You are probably now saying to yourself … the Landlord’s character surely must be in question but here the Landlord was none other than the local Church of Ireland Parish. Continuing arrests, drunken brawls and summonses eventually led to three endorsements on the Licence. Today that would be enough to close any licensed premises but in those early Licensing days a change of ownership would also return the Licence to the status quo. So the Church looked around for a new and respected Licencee and they found him in, Francis Joseph Bigger, one of the most remarkable Irishmen of his generation – a solicitor (his Legal Firm Bigger and Strahan are still in business in Royal Avenue). Antiquarian, Philanthropist and promoter of Irish Culture, history and language.

Suppported by the Church and with some influential friends, Bigger took over the lease under the auspices of his newly formed ULSTER PUBLIC HOUSE REFORM ASSOCIATION of which he is now chairman. Their mandate was to run model bars on the lines of the English Inns where the weary traveller could find good food and drinks. His interesting experiment was to last for nearly 30 years. The Ballyvessey Spirit Grocery later changed its name to THE CROWN AND SHAMROCK (1901), more in keeping with Bigger’s political views. Other acquisitions followed:

1. The Templeton Arms (1902) in nearby Templepatrick later to be renamed The Pig and Chicken under the Carpet King Cyril Lord’s Ownership in the early sixties. It’s now the site of the new Templeton Hotel.

2. The Dunleath Arms (1902) Ballywalter

3. The Mermaid of Mahee (1903) Kircubbin (Prior to that it was called The Ship Inn, now called simply The Mermaid.)

The above Licensed Premises were run on principles adapted from the Gothenberg methods (called after a Mr Gothenberg, who in the United States in the 1850’s after personally been driven to desperation with drunkenness, evolved a system of State management of pubs.) Here are some of the stringent rules that the Association laid down;

A. No person could obtain more than Two Drinks

B. Any Person under the influence of Drink when entering the premises would be ejected henceforth.

C. No Drink was allowed to be on show.

D. No Swearing

E. No Tick

The present owners are the O’Boyle Family and it was Gerald’s Grandfather back in 1925 who bought it from the Reform Association. There’s an attractively back-to-the-old-days-feeling about this very clean little pub with its simple furnishings. An old fashioned welcome awaits you and this is entirely due to the warmth and hospitality of the O’Boyle Family, Mother, Daughter and Son. Look out for the jaw of a swordfish, which Grandfather brought back from Australia, a very rare framed Advertisement for O’Connells Dublin Ale, and a Theatre Poster for the Old Palace (1907), now The Grand Opera House. Gerald drew my attention to the unusual wrought Iron work on the swinging Sign outside and then told me about the Secret rooms found in the roof space many years ago. This was a favourite hiding place for the notorious 18th century highwayman Enean O’Haughan, one of a family of 4 Highwaymen who robbed both rich and poor without distinction. They were eventually caught by the military patrol and hanged on the scaffold at a spot where Carrickfergus Model School now stands. These secret rooms were also used a a hiding place for fleeing United Irishmen after the disastrous Battle of Antrim in 1798.

It certainly is a remarkable little pub with a fascinating history.