Status : The Fort
25-27 Springfield Road
Belfast
It was a very pleasant experience to discover, by chance, Gilmartin’s, formerly Maguire’s. Before that, for 77 years, it belonged to the McGuigan family, whose name appears in mosaic as you enter the main door. The present owners are the friendly Gilmartin brothers, Paddy and Frank. It is clearly to be seen by the exterior, and even more so inside, how much pride the two brothers have in their premises. Solid carved wood is all around you. Against the windows are 4 delightful cosy, intimate snugs, but the piece de resistance is surely the fine solid polished mahogany cabinet behind the bar that commands one’s attention. One day an American visitor was so taken with it that he offered to buy it on the spot for £10,000. The original tiles are on the floor, and not many bars can claim that, especially if the bar is over 105 years old. Old-fashioned hospitality is very much to the fore here in this attractive and recently refurbished old pub. A sign inside the bar says it all: ‘There are no strangers in here except friends we have yet to meet.’