Presbyterians table bid for bar
Thursday, 6 November 2008
FIRST Antrim Presbyterian Church hope that they will soon be toasting the success of their bid to buy one of the town's trendiest bars, the Guardian can reveal.
Brewery chains have been buying up abandoned old churches and converting them into trendy nightspots for years - but Elders at First Antrim have bucked the trend by sliding an offer across the bar to the owner of neighbouring Viscount O'Neill's on Church Street.
The publican is understood to have verbally accepted the offer, thought to be in the region of £600,000, but the champagne remains on ice this week pending a full meeting of the congregation.
Some are thought to be concerned about the perception that they are moving into the 'beer business', but Church leaders have stressed that the first thing they would do is roll out the barrels and stop the sale of 'the devil's buttermilk'.
The Rev Stephen Simpson, who is acting as Convenor until a full-time replacement is found for former Moderator Dr John Dixon, was unavailable for comment last night - but a senior source confirmed that the offer was 'serious and at an advanced stage'.
“The church has a very large congregation and they have been looking at the question of acquiring adjoining properties for some time," said the insider.
“Viscount O'Neill's would give us some extra parking spaces - which is something that is currently in desperately short supply - while the building itself could be used as a drop-in centre during the day and perhaps be developed for much-needed youth facilities."
The church is adamant, however, that they would be doing their bit to combat the Borough's binge drink culture by calling time on the booze business.
Some had predicted that they would simply sell off the lucrative liquor license, which could be worth over £125,000, to offset the massive original outlay - though insiders claimed last night that this may not be the case.
Perhaps keen to fend off any criticism of making financial gain from the tippler trade, it has been claimed that the Elders want to retain the license, with the strict proviso that it is allowed to lapse and is never used.
“The church is keen to keep the licence, even though it will cease to exist as a pub. The Presbyterian Church is not - and I can't stress this enough - going into the bar trade.
“There's only one Lord we're interested in, and it isn't a landlord!"
But while there's no evidence of an unholy row brewing among the congregation of First Antrim, the Elders know that their pricey blueprint for the future requires overwhelming support if it is to stand a prayer of winning approval from church leaders.
“The whole question of purchasing a public house is a sensitive one for the church, but if we can assure local people that this can only bring benefits then there's no reason why this deal should not be done."
It is understood that the congregation are to meet 'very soon' to give their verdict - and, if they raise their glasses, First Antrim could become the proud owners of their own bar within weeks.
