The Crown Liquor Saloon in Great Victoria Street, Belfast was perhaps the greatest of Victorian Gin Palaces which once flourished in the industrial cities of Britain.Today wonderfully preserved, the Crown is cherished and still well used by the people of Belfast. It is owned by the National Trust and managed by Six Continents Retail Limited. The National Trust made the decision to purchase this exotic property in 1978 ( Sir John Betjeman, the late Poet Laureate, played a crucial role in the Trust’s decision.) In 1981 the Trust carried out a sympathetic restoration, and it took the sum of approximately £400,000 to restore the bar to its full Victorian splendour.

It is now a unique visual gem, a veritable masterpiece in bar architecture, which has the distinction of being known to millions all over the world. The Crown is famous as a tourist venue in the heart of Belfast, and the pub dates back to 1826, when the first train ran from Belfast to Lisburn.

It was then known as the Railway Tavern and was owned by Felix O’Hanlon; he sold it to Michael Flanagan, but it was Michael’s son, Patrick, who was destined to make it famous. A student of architecture, he travelled widely, and was impressed by what he saw. He arrived home with ideas to brighten up the old family bar.