New Derry bar to create up to 30 jobs

A new bar and restaurant in Derry’s Ebrington Square is  set to create 30 jobs,

Stitch and Weave, which is due to open on March 1, is situated in the canteen of the former Ebrington military barracks.

The owners say they had made a “seven figure investment” in the 80-seater restaurant, which has spectacular views of the city’s Peace Bridge.

Owner David McElhone said: “It is an exciting project, we are very excited and it’s been a long time coming.

“The building itself is absolutely beautiful, right in the corner of Ebrington Square overlooking the Peace bridge.

“We couldn’t be more blessed to have a building like this.

He said the restaurant would employ between 25 and 30 people.

Ebrington’s development is widely regarded as a key to the economic growth of Derry and the region and is the largest regeneration site in the city.

A former naval base that opened in 1841, it was known as HMS Sea Eagle during World War Two and was an important part of the North Atlantic Command.

There have previously been concerns about the site’s development and work on a maritime museum marking the city’s seafaring history was stalled In 2018.

Plans for a multi-million-pound distillery and visitors’ centre at the site were scrapped the following year.

The landmark  Ebrington Hotel opened in Ebrington Square last year.