War and Whiskey
War and Whiskey is an innovative new series of informal history talks focussing on World War Two and the role played by Northern Ireland. Each month we will meet in one of Northern Ireland's most historic bars.
This will be an opportunity for informal storytelling and discussion. We will have authentic 1940s music and visuals to set the mood, providing a relaxed atmosphere… and of course, we’ll have Irish whiskey.
Our first evening takes place upstairs in The Garrick Bar on Chichester Street, Belfast on Friday 27th September 2019. The speaker will be Jenny Haslett from Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum on Talbot Street, Belfast.
The War
Jenny Haslett is Museum Manager at the Northern IrelandWar Memorial Museum on Talbot Street, Belfast. The museum features a range of artifacts dating from World War Two helping to tell the stories of the arrival of the American GIs, the Belfast Blitz, and the effects of war on the home front.
Jenny will speak about the vital role played by Northern Ireland during the Second World War and the impact that war had on the people and places of Ulster.
The Whiskey
Roe and Co. is a new blended Irish whiskey inspired by the Roe family who operated the Thomas Street Distillery in Dublin from 1757 to its closure in 1926.
The Where and Why
In the late 1890s, the famous Belfast publicans Braithwaite and McCann purchased the building on the corner of Chichester Street and Montgomery Street, adding it to their portfolio that included The Hatfield House and The Red Lion on the Ormeau Road. Across the centuries, the bar has retained the name of The Garrick, perhaps named after a Shakespearean actor or a swanky London club.
While some of the history remains shrouded in mystery, the present day establishment is a firm favourite of locals, tourists, sports enthusiasts, and music fans. The selection of local beers and spirits is well worth a sample.
War and Whiskey was born from a need to take history out of the stuffy confines of museums and lecture halls. WartimeNI aims to educate and inform as many people as possible about the events of the Second World War in Northern Ireland. This series of talks will make information more readily available to those who may not be able to make it along to more traditional events.
Right of admission reserved. Strictly over 18s.