Railway Hotel

Entrance to Railway Hotel opposite Railway Station 1855.

THE RAILWAY HOTEL

The Railway Hotel dates from the early 1860s. It was owned by Mrs Ferguson and comprised large bedrooms, Coffee Room, Dining and Sitting Rooms, Bar Parlour, Kitchen, amongst other accommodation. It was fully licensed for the sale of alcoholic beverages and had a separate Bar Entrance for members of the public.

The hotel was situated, as its name implies, across the road from the Railway Station and the starting point for the Giant’s Causeway Tramway on Eglinton Street. Upon the death of Mrs Ferguson the hotel was put up for sale by public auction to be held on 7thMarch 1899. The sale included the premises, the Spirit Licence, Bar Fittings and Fixtures but did not include”the entire furniture and Effects” which were to be sold at a separate later auction that day.

The hotel was purchased by Mr Patrick Bradley who has the Spirit Licence transferred to him at the end of October 1899. From this point in time the premises would appear to operate as a Public Bar rather than an hotel and Mr Bradley is often found advertising Old Bushmills Whiskey, of various ages, for sale by the bottle so presumably he is operating some form of off-licence in addition to the Public Bar.

In the Coleraine Chronicle dated 1st October 1904, Mr S. J. McFadden C.E., an architect with offices in Coleraine is inviting tenders “for making Additions and Alterations to the Premises of Mr P. Bradley, Railway Hotel, Portrush”. The hotel continued to be advertised as such in street directories but it is not clear how much hotel business was carried out.

The Railway Hotel is now “The Quays Bar”.