The site of a former Ulster Bank branch in Co Tyrone is to open as new AirBnB.
The Stewartstown branch of the bank closed its doors five years ago along with 10 other branches throughout Northern Ireland.
Now the historic building is being put to use as an AirBnB from the first weekend in June and an attached coffee shop is set to open on the premises in the coming weeks.
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Local man Don Ryan is one of those behind the new opening, and said he had initially thought about opening a restaurant but wanted to do more with the space available.
“Everyone remembers it being a bank obviously and it would have served people all around the local area from Stewartstown, Brocagh and Ardboe," Don told MyTyrone.
“A lot of people would have banked in it, they would have been queuing out the door some days.
“We own quite a few properties in the town and the shop across the road, and it’s the most historic building in the town so as soon as it became available I had to have it.
“We had initially thought about turning it into a restaurant but it was just too big for it.
“It’s a three storey building so the top two floors is an AirBnB with eleven beds so it’s a good size.”
The building in the square was first built in 1835 and it was owned by a wealthy merchant in the town, Don added, and it became a bank in the 1920s.
It has a separate stone coach house at the back of the bank building, with it also being converted into short term accommodation with seven beds.
Don said he was hoping the new openings would breathe some new life into the small town following the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic.
“It’s just another way of trying to bring people into the town,” he said.
“Stewartstown is a small town but it has a great community of people and businesses looking out for each other.”
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