Iconic Belfast bars set to remain closed

Up to 100 hospitality jobs in Belfast are at risk following the news that two of the city’s most popular bars will not open their doors for ‘the foreseeable future’.

The Duke of York and The Harp Bar in Cathedral Quarter signalled today (Wednesday) that a consultation period would get underway with employees at both venues.

Owned by prominent local publican, Willie Jack, the bars have been at the bustling heart of the Quarter for many years and the looming threat to their future is an indication of the dire toll the current pandemic is set to extract from the beleaguered hospitality trade in the city.

Announcing the decision not to re-open the venues at present, a spokesperson from Commercial Court Inns, which owns the properties, said:

‘Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to find an economically viable way to reopen these iconic venues, which we built for convivial conversation, craic and live music in close quarters.

‘The time will come when these doors will re-open and the lights will be turned back on. The craic and conversation will return and the reunion will be all the sweeter for the wait.’

Speaking today, Colin Neill of trade body, Hospitality Ulster, said that the threat to jobs at the Cathedral Quarter bars was indicative of the poor state of the current trading environment in the sector and a sign of the real impact that Covid-19 was having.

‘The toll that this has taken on iconic bars such as the Duke of York and the Harp Bar speaks volumes for how deep trading restrictions are hurting,’ said Mr Neill. ‘We are devastated for those employees who have been given this news and know that this will not have been an easy decision to make.’

LCN has been reporting in detail around the plight of licensed premises in NI and the Republic since Coronavirus struck in March. Most pubs are now able to re-open, albeit with strict hygiene regulations and a nightly curfew, but the impact that the virus and the safety measures are having is clear as customer numbers and profits have plummeted.

Licensed premises in the Derry & Strabane District Council area have been particularly badly affected following the imposition of new, stricter regulations there. Since Monday, hospitality businesses in the region, where the virus has surged in recent days, have been limited to takeaway, delivery and restricted outdoor dining and cultural attractions have been closed. See here for more.

The likelihood of further restrictions, including a possible ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown, will be discussed at a meeting of the NI Executive later today.

Ahead of that meeting, however, Deputy First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, has already signalled that additional restrictions are likely.

And NI’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride has warned that this year’s Christmas celebrations will be a muted affair:

‘I think it’s very safe to say that Christmas will be very different from previous years because we still will have many of the restrictions in place that we currently have if not further restrictions at that time.’ he said.