Grace Neill's
Encyclopedia
Grace Neill's, in the town of Donaghadee
, Northern Ireland
claims to be the oldest licensed pub in Ireland
, but that title is held by Sean's Bar
in Athlone, which the Guinness World Records
records as being founded in 900, pre-dating Grace Neill's by 700 years.
The pub was opened in 1611 as the 'King's Arms'. Situated on High Street, the small bar has many antiques
displayed around its interior. Grace Neill was a patron of the pub, and a Donaghadee
resident who lived for 98 years (died 1918). The pub was renamed in her honour and her "benign ghost
" is said to be present in the building to this day.
The pub has a beer garden
, and a restaurant at the rear. It has been shortlisted for several awards, and has won Michelle Erdvig's "Pub of the Year Award 2005" and the "Dining Pub of the Year Award 2004".
Grace Neill’s is listed as ‘the oldest pub in Ireland’ in “The Guinness Book of Records”, it was almost four centuries ago in 1611 when “The King’s Arms” first opened its doors for business in Donaghadee, Co. Down. Today the bar is firmly established as a popular tourist attraction within the North Down area; visitors from every continent have sampled Irish hospitality and an obligatory pint of Guinness within these walls.
However, this is only the very beginning of the remarkable story of one of the most famous pubs in the country, which was renamed “Grace Neills” in the last century. Grace Neill (1818–1916) was a former landlady who is remembered today for various reasons. Obviously her name is kept alive by the name of the premises but the nature of some aspects of her lifestyle are also of interest today. Grace apparently adhered to a custom of the period, which involved greeting visitors to the inn with a welcoming kiss while her passion was an indulgent puff from her day pipe.
The existence of Grace Neill has taken on a more mysterious guise in recent years - it is asserted that her ghost haunts the building. Many members of staff have witnessed unexplained events including the scattering of books and glasses throughout the bar and the switching on of appliances such as the kettle and television. The inexplicable occurrences and the curious creaking of floorboards above the old tavern culminated in an actual sighting of a Victorian lady contained within ‘a puff of steam’. It should however be noted that customers have nothing to fear from Grace - she is a friendly spirit and we are happy to have her.
Taking a step back into the front bar is truly taking a step back in time. This area retains its quaintness and charm today; the beams are constructed from the timbers of old ships and the two pine doors at the rear of the bar provide the only clue as to what the remainder of the building contains. This dark tavern has played host to many famous names of centuries gone by; it was welcomed visitors as diverse as the aristocrat Peter the Great, the composer Franz Liszt and poet John Keats. More recent tourists have included Tina Turner, and the former Beirut hostage Brian Keenan even enjoyed a pint here after his release from captivity.
The two snugs contain many antique glass and stone bottles (including Comber Whiskey and Belfast Mineral water bottles) which maintain the character of an era gone by. Pictures of various guns serve as a reminder of the criminal element - the smugglers and horse-theives who plotted and schemed in the old bar during the past century when Donaghadee was the main sea port to both the Isle of Man and Portpatrick in Scotland.
The staff of ‘Grace Neill’s’ endeavour to welcome you as warmly as a visitor to Ireland’s oldest pub today as has been the tradition for close to 400 years. We hope that we continue to ‘serve good food and excellent ale’ as observed by the Marquis de Vere in the seventeenth century and that this cherished example of living history is preserved in its unspoilt condition for many centuries to come.
This famous sea battle took place off the North Down coast on April 23, 1778. The American Continental Navy was commanded by Captain John Paul Jones, a former famous pirate. Jones’ mission was to raid British Commercial Shipping; it was hoped that the ingenuity acquired from his ‘colourful’ past would be put to good use in his trip around our islands.
The cunning Jones learnt from some captured fishermen that the English had dispatched Captain Burden in twenty gun sloop warship H.B.M. Drake to search for his A.C.S Ranger. Jones moved from Belfast Lough to just off the coast of Donaghadee to await Burden. Jones’ ship has previously been a British Merchantman but had been captured and converted. This fact gave Jones’ the ace card - he was in possession of a British flag that he cleverly employed to trick Burden.
Burden sent a six man crew out to observe A.C.S Ranger. The decoy tactic of Jones was successful and soon the half dozen men found themselves prisoners aboard the American ship. The two ships sailed onwards to the nearest point of land at the Copeland Islands and were unaware of each other’s identities until the following exchange:
Burden: ‘What ship is that?’
Jones: ‘The American Continental Ship Ranger.’
As the darkness of night fell a powerful sea battle ensued. The onslaught was ferocious and both ships fought courageously for over an hour. They were well matched in size, speed and fire power but Jones’ men eventually reduced the power of H.B.M Drake by strategically attacking her masts, spars and rigging to lessen the manageability of the ship.
Captain Burden lost his life to a musket shot and H.B.M Drake surrendered having witnessed the deaths of her captain, first officer and seventeen crew members. The Ranger sailed on victoriously resounding in the joyous initial victory for the newly fledged American Navy.
Donaghadee
Donaghadee is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the northeast coast of the Ards Peninsula, about east of Belfast and about six miles south east of Bangor. It had a population of 6,470 people in the 2001 Census...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
claims to be the oldest licensed pub in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, but that title is held by Sean's Bar
Sean's Bar
Sean's Bar is a pub in Athlone, Ireland. It claims to be the oldest pub in Ireland, dating back to 900, and received a certificate from Guinness World Records repeating the claim....
in Athlone, which the Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
records as being founded in 900, pre-dating Grace Neill's by 700 years.
The pub was opened in 1611 as the 'King's Arms'. Situated on High Street, the small bar has many antiques
Antiques
An antique is an old collectible item. It is collected or desirable because of its age , beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features...
displayed around its interior. Grace Neill was a patron of the pub, and a Donaghadee
Donaghadee
Donaghadee is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the northeast coast of the Ards Peninsula, about east of Belfast and about six miles south east of Bangor. It had a population of 6,470 people in the 2001 Census...
resident who lived for 98 years (died 1918). The pub was renamed in her honour and her "benign ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
" is said to be present in the building to this day.
The pub has a beer garden
Beer garden
Beer garden is an open-air area where beer, other drinks and local food are served. The concept originates from and is most common in Southern Germany...
, and a restaurant at the rear. It has been shortlisted for several awards, and has won Michelle Erdvig's "Pub of the Year Award 2005" and the "Dining Pub of the Year Award 2004".
External links
Grace Neill’s is listed as ‘the oldest pub in Ireland’ in “The Guinness Book of Records”, it was almost four centuries ago in 1611 when “The King’s Arms” first opened its doors for business in Donaghadee, Co. Down. Today the bar is firmly established as a popular tourist attraction within the North Down area; visitors from every continent have sampled Irish hospitality and an obligatory pint of Guinness within these walls.
However, this is only the very beginning of the remarkable story of one of the most famous pubs in the country, which was renamed “Grace Neills” in the last century. Grace Neill (1818–1916) was a former landlady who is remembered today for various reasons. Obviously her name is kept alive by the name of the premises but the nature of some aspects of her lifestyle are also of interest today. Grace apparently adhered to a custom of the period, which involved greeting visitors to the inn with a welcoming kiss while her passion was an indulgent puff from her day pipe.
The existence of Grace Neill has taken on a more mysterious guise in recent years - it is asserted that her ghost haunts the building. Many members of staff have witnessed unexplained events including the scattering of books and glasses throughout the bar and the switching on of appliances such as the kettle and television. The inexplicable occurrences and the curious creaking of floorboards above the old tavern culminated in an actual sighting of a Victorian lady contained within ‘a puff of steam’. It should however be noted that customers have nothing to fear from Grace - she is a friendly spirit and we are happy to have her.
Taking a step back into the front bar is truly taking a step back in time. This area retains its quaintness and charm today; the beams are constructed from the timbers of old ships and the two pine doors at the rear of the bar provide the only clue as to what the remainder of the building contains. This dark tavern has played host to many famous names of centuries gone by; it was welcomed visitors as diverse as the aristocrat Peter the Great, the composer Franz Liszt and poet John Keats. More recent tourists have included Tina Turner, and the former Beirut hostage Brian Keenan even enjoyed a pint here after his release from captivity.
The two snugs contain many antique glass and stone bottles (including Comber Whiskey and Belfast Mineral water bottles) which maintain the character of an era gone by. Pictures of various guns serve as a reminder of the criminal element - the smugglers and horse-theives who plotted and schemed in the old bar during the past century when Donaghadee was the main sea port to both the Isle of Man and Portpatrick in Scotland.
The staff of ‘Grace Neill’s’ endeavour to welcome you as warmly as a visitor to Ireland’s oldest pub today as has been the tradition for close to 400 years. We hope that we continue to ‘serve good food and excellent ale’ as observed by the Marquis de Vere in the seventeenth century and that this cherished example of living history is preserved in its unspoilt condition for many centuries to come.
This famous sea battle took place off the North Down coast on April 23, 1778. The American Continental Navy was commanded by Captain John Paul Jones, a former famous pirate. Jones’ mission was to raid British Commercial Shipping; it was hoped that the ingenuity acquired from his ‘colourful’ past would be put to good use in his trip around our islands.
The cunning Jones learnt from some captured fishermen that the English had dispatched Captain Burden in twenty gun sloop warship H.B.M. Drake to search for his A.C.S Ranger. Jones moved from Belfast Lough to just off the coast of Donaghadee to await Burden. Jones’ ship has previously been a British Merchantman but had been captured and converted. This fact gave Jones’ the ace card - he was in possession of a British flag that he cleverly employed to trick Burden.
Burden sent a six man crew out to observe A.C.S Ranger. The decoy tactic of Jones was successful and soon the half dozen men found themselves prisoners aboard the American ship. The two ships sailed onwards to the nearest point of land at the Copeland Islands and were unaware of each other’s identities until the following exchange:
Burden: ‘What ship is that?’
Jones: ‘The American Continental Ship Ranger.’
As the darkness of night fell a powerful sea battle ensued. The onslaught was ferocious and both ships fought courageously for over an hour. They were well matched in size, speed and fire power but Jones’ men eventually reduced the power of H.B.M Drake by strategically attacking her masts, spars and rigging to lessen the manageability of the ship.
Captain Burden lost his life to a musket shot and H.B.M Drake surrendered having witnessed the deaths of her captain, first officer and seventeen crew members. The Ranger sailed on victoriously resounding in the joyous initial victory for the newly fledged American Navy.