71 Castle Street

March 2024

Project Attributes

Project:

Ballycastle Museum

Owner:

Ballycastle Museum

Date:

28th October 2025

Address: 71 Castle Street

Listing: B1

Construction date: 1880-1899 (Historic Buildings Record HB05/15/020)

Year	Owner/lessee	Business name	Building use	Notes
1750s				Original building built in 1750s, with the earliest deed known from 1759, HB05/15/020. JMcC research suggests The House of McDonnell has been noted in local records since 1744.
1766				According to Brigitte O’Neill (01/03/24), the first Public House on this site is believed to have been established 1766. HB05/15/020 cites the ‘present owner’ (Tom O’Neill) as stating the building having been in the hands of their family (McDonnells) since 1766.
1835	George McLaughlin			HB05/15/020.
1843	Alexander McDonnell		Public house	Post-office Belfast Annual Directory 1843-1844.
1859	John McDonnell			HB05/15/020.
1864-1874	John McDonnell			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1875-1885	Mary McDonnell		Public house	SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1885				Third floor added to original building, public house remodelled and extensions built to rear, HB05/15/020.
1886-1890	Charles McLaughlin			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1891-1901	Randal McDonnell			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1901	Randal McDonnell		Public house and vet surgery	Census – building no.3 Randal McDonnell, 33, head of family, RC, vet surgeon, wine and spirit merchant, not married Harriet Elizabeth McDonnell, 27, sister, RC, not married Annie McGarry, 25, servant, RC, general domestic servant, not married
1902-1906	Randal McDonnell			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1907-1911	Denis McAuley			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1911	Randal McDonnell		Public house and vet surgery	Census – building no.3 Randal McDonnell, 42, head of family, RC, veterinary surgeon and publican, married Maggie McDonnell, 28, wife, married John McDonnell 7, son, RC, scholar, single Mary McDonnell, 5, daughter, RC, scholar, single Maggie McDonnell, 4, daughter, RC, scholar, single Randal McDonnell, 3, son, RC, scholar, single Richie McDonnell, 0, son, RC, single Maggie McBreth, 23, servant, RC, domestic servant, single
1912-1921	Denis McAuley	The Store	Spirit grocers	SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers. According to HB05/15/020, the licensed premises contained within the building was a spirit grocers prior to Partition in 1921, with groceries sold from the front of the shop, and spirits etc. in the rear. Spirit groceries were not permitted in the new Northern Ireland state and the business –then known as ‘The Store’- became a public house.
1922-1930	Randal McDonnell			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
c.1932-1979	Mary McDonnell	McDonnell’s Bar?		Mary was the daughter of Randal McDonnell (born c.1906), HB05/15/020. Visible in c.1940s photo from the Sam Henry collection, Coleraine Museum.
1979-2018	Tom and Eileen O’Neill	The House of McDonnell		Tom was a grandson of Randal McDonnell and nephew of Mary McDonnell, the previous owner, HB05/15/020. JMcC research names Tom’s parents as Helen McDonnell and J.K. O’Neill. According to SMcM, Tom was a real fixture and the House of McDonnell is still fondly called Wee Tom’s. Visible in photos from 1991 in the Chronicle and Constitution Archive, Coleraine Museum collection.
2018				JMcC research.
2018-2023				Working Group review 19/12/24.
2023 – present		House of McDonnell	Public house	According to Brigitte O’Neill (01/03/24) the current front bar is 19th century and dates to when the building was used as a spirit grocer. Potential that current décor (wall tiling) is early 20^th century (Working Group review 23/01/25). One of the back rooms still has the original corking machine and full bottle of Guiness dating to 1950s.