The Crown is an institution, an extravagantly ornate Victorian pub which is as much full of locals as it is tourists. In the late 19th century, the owner’s son persuaded Italian craftsmen who traveled to Belfast to work on new churches, to lend their expertise on the decoration of the pub. Intricate mosaic tiling, hand–carved woodwork, the alter–style red granite bar and the 10 snugs all strike you as soon as you walk in the door. It is a sensory overload in the best way possible. The lion guarded snugs with their gun metal plates for striking matches, antique bells and stained glass are it’s most known feature, famously recreated in a London film studio in 1947 for Carol Reed’s Odd Man Out, which starred James Mason as an on–the–run IRA man fatally wounded in a robbery and taking refuge.
But it is not just the decor which has appealed throughout the years. It has always been regarded as a neutral venue where people from all sides of the divide as well as visitors, tourists and international journalists all felt at ease and no one cared who cared who you were and you could speak freely.
The Crown, Great Victoria St, Belfast.
Thanks to Journeyfor, Ciaran and C.R.