Kelvin unveils vision and new name for Sailortown bar
Hospitality entrepreneur Kelvin Collins is set name Belfast’s newest bar after a pioneering Northern Ireland female footballer.
The former McKenna’s bar is being refurbished and rebranded by publican by the man behind Ben Madigan’s Bar & Kitchen on the Cavehill Road in north Belfast, and he previously told LCN about his vision for it.
It has now been revealed what the bar will look like inside and its theme. It will be called Seatons of Sailortown in a nod to footballer Molly Seaton.
The north Belfast woman played for a series of teams, including men’s sides, in the 20s and 30s, as well as captaining Ireland’s women’s team.
The ground floor includes a kitchen, banquettes, an extended bar area, along with snugs, booths and a traditional fireplace — with a traditional vibe bringing in modern design influences.
Kelvin is now on the hunt for more information, newspaper articles or memorabilia relating to Molly Seaton.
Her first high profile footballing appearance came in 1923 as “one of three Northern Ireland women on the Scottish team Rutherglen that shocked the famed Dick Kerr Ladies 2–0 near Glasgow”, according to the Dictionary of Irish Biography.
“Seaton next appeared in 1927, when she participated in Rutherglen’s ground-breaking tour of Britain and Ireland. To overcome the bias against women’s football, their teams provided their own opposition by travelling and playing as one large squad or two loosely affiliated squads.”
The former McKenna’s bar went on the market for an undisclosed sum last November.
