108 Glen Rd, Andersonstown, Belfast BT11 8BH
Nice and attractive bars are a rare commodity in West Belfast, so no wonder The Glenowen Bar at the corner of St. Meryl Park and the Glen Road, stands out like an oasis. In 1939, when the family opened their grocery and butchery business on the present site, the landscape had a totally different complexion. Today it is surrounded by large housing estates on all sides, but then it was open countryside stretching northwards as far as the eye could see.
It was Des McErlean, the present owner, who built it in 1964 for the sum of £30,000. Des grew up in the Glen Road, but his grandfather Henry, who came to Belfast in the late 1880s, originally came from Clady in County Derry where, in the 17th century, Teady McErlean carried on his business in the townland of Glenone – the source for the name Glenowen. Over the years, Des has probably been better known as the owner of the McErlean chain of home bakeries. In 1987 he sold the business to Frank McKeown of Reihill-McKeown Ltd., the Lurgan based drinks wholesaler. Quite recently, Des purchased the old Cuan Bar in Strangford for his son, Peter. Cuan in Gaelic means inlet (Strangford Lough used to be called Lough Cuan) and Des has assured me that once the bar is complete it will return to its old world ambience.
The public bar is actually a cellar bar. Entrance via the car park is built on contemporary lines, featuring on one wall a mural of the County Derry village of Clady by local artist Harry Knox. On ground level there is a delightful lounge to your right, called the Tara Lounge, with murals of ancient Irish Warriors behind the bar. To your left is the Grill Bar, where lunch is served daily, while on the top floor there is a function room with the main restaurant on your right. Des has just completed a major refurbishment job on his ‘Upside Down’ Bar, as he calls it, and more substantial renovations costing £250,000, and it shows. It is in immaculate order, down to the toilets. You can always judge Management by the state of the toilets.
West Belfast has suffered from some of the worst ravages of the Troubles in recent years. Continuing unrest has left the area starved of investment. But things are looking up with the new Dairy Farm centre, a separate £3,000,000 shopping centre on the site of Eastwood’s scrapyard, and a major expansion of existing facilities at Curley’s. Yes, Glenowen has a bright future to look forward to.