McHugh's

Today David & I did house chores then went for tea & scones at a friend’s fundraiser, then hit golf balls for a while at a driving range. Tonight I went to a swing dance organised by one of our swing dance members. It was at a community club, which closed at 11 (probably because it’s in a neighbourhood). So we moved on to McHugh’s Bar, where we continued dancing, then on to Gary and Sheina’s--a couple in Swing Belfast who invited us back to theirs to keep the party going.

It was so nice to be at a bar with a group of friends instead of going to a bar with a Meet Up event. I have never warmed to the Meet Up crowd, probably because there are too many extroverts. I’m like a lot of introverts who like the idea of going out and then don’t particularly enjoy sitting around making small talk (while yelling over loud music). Tonight was fun because we danced occasionally and being among friends means I don’t have to try as hard to be social. If that makes any sense. Going to a MeetUp is more like work.

Anyway, McHugh’s is the earliest known building in Belfast. It’s near a major bus station that was heavily bombed in the 1970s so I don’t know how it survived.

From its website:
"An archaeological survey of McHughs Bar in 1997 by FW Hammond, found the site to be ‘by far the oldest building to have survived in Belfast'... Built between 1710 and 1715’ Nos. 29-31/33 Queens Square were constructed at this time as part of the Hanover Quay development undertaken by Isaac McCartney between 1710 and 1720."
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