Southport BID feature by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
The owners of Connolly’s Irish pub in Southport town centre are looking forward to the popular venue’s first birthday, a busy weekend of St Patrick’s Day celebrations and continuing redevelopment plans.
Connolly’s opened on King Street, opposite Southport Market, on 11th May last year, creating 15 new jobs.
Inside is a large mural celebrating some of Ireland’s most legendary sporting heroes including footballer George Best, snooker player Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins and golfer Rory McIlroy.
Julie Goodwin and her team transformed the former Coronation pub, which had been empty since the start of the Covid pandemic, having previously reopened the historic Cheshire Lines Inn further along the street.
Connolly’s Irish pub was just phase one of the ambitious scheme.
Workers are currently busy converting the ground floor unit adjacent to the pub to become a new Catherine’s Wine Bar, which is on track to open this April.
After that is complete they will begin phase three, which will see the creation of new Catherine’s luxury hotel and spa rooms on the first and second floors of the building.
It is part of a substantial investment taking place in the Market Quarter area of the town centre.
Balfour Beatty is currently carrying out public realm work which will make a section of Market Street pedestrianised, King Street becoming one way along with environmental enhancements in a bid to attract more visitors and more new local businesses.
The development of the new Southport Enterprise Arcade, a new digital, tech and creative space on Eastbank Street near Connolly’s, is due to be completed this Spring.
Julie has high hopes for the future and has been enjoying building her new pub’s reputation.
She said: “Things are going well. We have achieved a lot over the past few months and we have lots to look forward to.
“We have been building a reputation for Connolly’s as a great live music venue.
“We are really busy during weekends especially and continue to make positive changes.
“Customers can now enjoy delicious food thanks to Harrison Brown with Full Chef and The Bagel Bar.
“This Sunday we will start serving Sunday roast dinners for the first time which we think are going to be really popular!
“We now have a male darts team and a female darts team which compete every Monday and Tuesday.
“We have Open Mic nights every Wednesday.
“Our Live Music nights are 6.30pm onwards every Friday and 3pm until 11pm every Saturday.
“This Saturday (1st February 2025) we have the brilliant Asa Murphy on from 9pm.
“We were previously running karaoke nights and I am looking to bring them back soon.”
While Connolly’s is an Irish pub, it’s not all about the Guinness.
Planning for this year’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations meanwhile have begun in earnest with lots for people to look forward to.
Julie said: “Our Guinness is really popular but we have recently introduced Murphys and it is really giving Guinness a run for its money! It’s very popular.
“We recently introduced Caffrey’s too which is also doing very well.
“There will be lots happening at Connolly’s during the St Patrick’s Day weekend, on 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th March.
“There is lots planned including drinks offers, Irish food such as Irish stew, and colcannon; we will be opening earlier than usual to serve Irish breakfasts.
“We will have special offers on Irish drinks such as Guinness, Murphy’s, Caffreys, Jamesons, Baby Guinness.
“We are going to go big! It’s going to be a memorable few days.
“With other Irish pubs in Southport town centre such as The Auld Dubliner and Punch Tarmey’s, and Paddy’s Day Bingo happening at Southport Market, Southport will be a vibrant place for people who want to come and enjoy a fun Irish weekend.
“The Six Nations Rugby will be another huge event for us. We will be showing all the matches on our eight big HD TVs and our giant screen.
“People can enjoy free Guinness for the first six minutes of every Ireland game!”
Julie continues to invest in her ambitious plans for the future, both in the Market Quarter, and Southport as a whole.
The Market Quarter renaissance began with the transformation of Southport Market by Sefton Council into a stylish food, drink and events venue in a £1.4 million scheme in 2021.
Quicksilver Music has since moved into bigger new premises, while other new local independent businesses to open since that catalyst include Season Coffee, Bar and Kitchen; The Plant room; Eva’s Sewing Room; Southport Market Blinds; The Cake Box; Crystals and Crowns; and more.
Julie said: “Work on Catherine’s wine bar next door has begun. The builders have been busy, making the space bigger.
“That should be ready by the end of April, in time for our first birthday celebrations at Connolly’s in May.
“Something like this couldn’t have happened without my partner Ellis Nolan from Nolan Property Solutions who’s been working very hard on this project. I really appreciate all his hard work.
“We will be releasing more details about Catherine’s soon on our social media channels.
“The Coronation had happy memories for so many people in Southport – myself included.
“We wondered whether to keep the old name or to start with a new name, for new generations to enjoy.
“I love the name Catherine which is my Mum’s name, which is why we have gone for that one for phase 2 and 3, while Connolly’s is a family surname.
“Catherine’s will be food-led. We will be serving Sunday roast dinners in there; steak nights; dinner and entertainment.
“It will be a brilliant space for events and functions.
“After that is open, we will start work on phase three; the luxury hotel rooms upstairs.
“The aim is for those rooms to be open by the start of 2026.
“By that time, the public realm work in Southport Market Quarter should be complete. This will be a lovely area for people to come and enjoy, with wider pavements, more space to sit and dine outdoors, more trees, and a more pleasant environment, nice and clean, modern, and a superb place to stay over.
“It will also be the year when the Open Golf Championship is played at Royal Birkdale in Southport.
“Our hotel will definitely be ready for then. We can’t wait.
“There is lots of investment happening in Southport this year. The new Southport Enterprise Arcade will be opening soon. Work is continuing at the new Marine Lake Events Centre.
“There are plans for the Debenhams site, The Garrick, the BHS building.
“It is good to see so much investment happening.
“What we really need now is for people in Southport to get right behind our town.
“I would love to see people becoming more positive and bigging Southport up rather than putting it down. It is a great town with lots of positive things happening.”
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