A popular South Belfast pub has celebrated 87 years serving customers and the community on the Ormeau Road.
The Errigle Inn has been a firm fixture on the Ormeau Road for decades where it has welcomed generations of customers through its doors and built itself a strong reputation for its good service and warm and friendly atmosphere.
Built on the foundations of the Old Ballynafeigh Inn, TJ McGurran opened The Errigle on Friday, December 13, 1935, after being asked to run the property by landlord Charlie McQuad, who gave the young barman an opportunity that he could not say no to, with TJ officially owning the business a few years later.
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Since then the pub has grown, taking over the former Esso garage on the site in the 1960s, but still maintains many of its original fixtures and furniture, along with the homely and traditional environment it is known for.
Phil McGurran is the third generation of his family to run The Errigle and has been working at the pub since he was 14 years old, with a small stint away for university and travelling.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Phil said: "My grandfather TJ opened the Errigle in 1935 after taking over the previous pub on the site that was run by his former boss Charlie McQuade.
"Over the years the pub has grown as business continued to do well with it expanding into the site of the Service Station that used to be here on the Ormeau Road, but it still has most of its original fixtures, fittings and furniture.
"The Oak Lounge for example still has its original furniture from 1936 and is a great place to relax and enjoy a drink in a warm environment without the music and sport that is often the focus of our main rooms.
"My father took over running the bar a number of years ago and is still considered the boss around here, and while there have been challenges we have kept going thanks to the support of our brilliant customers and the community here.
"I had my first shift here when I was 14, and was under strict instructions from my mum that I wouldn't be behind the bar, although things got a bit busy that night and I ended up pouring pints and have sort of continued to do that since with only a few years away at university and travelling.
"To have The Errigle in our family for all of these years has been very special and I just hope that I can keep it going into the future and maintain our reputation of being a welcoming place to enjoy a drink and a great night out."
Phil said that The Errigle is looking at new ways that it is able to adapt in the current climate with rising energy costs and has recently installed six heated seats outdoors which he says can be used for a fraction of the costs of outdoor heaters.
He said: "The last few years have thrown up their challenges with the pandemic and now the rising costs of energy and the cost of living, but we are looking at ways to manage this and still provide a great experience for our customers.
"We opened up our rooftop area during the pandemic which has proven to be very popular and we have recently installed six heated seats outdoors which will keep people warm more efficiently than the heaters that we had in place and can be run much cheaper.
"Throughout the festive period we will have an awful lot going on at The Errigle with music, sport and quizzes and look forward to welcoming all of our customers over the coming weeks!."
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