Should Mid and East Antrim Borough Council give the go-ahead the Oak, which sits next to the town’s police station, would be torn down to make way for  13 two-bedroom apartments in two blocks with open space, landscaping and carparking.

The move would mark the end of an era for the Green Street venue which boasts uninterrupted views across Belfast Lough.

Just last week, the Royal Oak announced on social media that it is still open for business and “will be for a good while to come”.

The bar is particularly popular with sports fans, boasting banks of plasma screen TVs showing all the big fixtures, as well as having  its own thriving golf society

Carrick has been the scene of much shorefront development in recent years, with planning permission recently approved for almost 20 new seafront apartments at Scotch Quarter relating to three vacant red-brick terraced houses overlooking Belfast Lough.

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From October 1, visitors who book in advance will be able to visit the castle and see the recently unveiled new oak roof on the Great Tower.

Announcing the reopening of the 800 year-old landmark, Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuiín said that it was one of Northern Ireland’s most popular visitor attractions:

‘It has been closed as a result of the Covid restrictions, however following a detailed risk assessment, my staff have worked to develop a pre-booking system that will allow tours of the castle to proceed,’ added the minister.

She also warned that numbers on the tours would be strictly limited.

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