I’m still in the lovely town of Enniskillen with it’s wonderful mix of old and modern Thursday Doors. One particular building deserves a post all of its own, a fabulous old pub that hasn’t changed much since its Victorian days.
Blake’s Bar still retains most of its lovely Victorian features with a snug on the left, just inside the main entrance.
I learned this fact when I mistakenly took it for the door to the main bar and opened it – to be greeted by a dozen or so men seated around a wooden table in a tiny wood paneled room. They raised their glasses to me and we had a laugh before pointing me in the right direction, which was directly opposite.
The Victorian tiles are a little the worse for wear but they are authentic and a lot of ‘soles’ have passed over them.
Now for the interesting bit. The reason I wanted to get inside the pub was not because I was parched and in dire need of a liquid refreshment (although I was tempted by the lovely cozy atmosphere of the interior). It was the sandwich board on the street that caught my eye.
But what is so unusual about this, apart from the fact that it’s one of the oldest and most famous pubs in Ireland? Well, the other side of the board explains it all.
During a particular nasty storm, some of the Dark Hedges’ trees were blown over and the wood from two of them was made into ten carved doors. Each one depicts a scene from the TV series Game of Thrones. They were distributed as gifts to places that are near some of the locations where the show was filmed, in Northern Ireland.
The door in Blake’s bar is an intricately carved scene depicting the Targaryen rise to power, you can see the dragons at the base of the door. The reason a premises in Enniskillen was chosen is because the town is close to The Marble Arch Caves, where the filming of Hollow Hill took place, featured in season three. If you would like to know where the remaining nine doors are situated, follow this link; Culture Trip
For an abundance of unusual doors, take a trip over to Norm’s blog and click the blue frog at the end of his post. Many thanks for stopping by. More Thursday Doors from Enniskillen next week.
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I love the woodwork and the history. This was a great place to share, Jean. Thanks!
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If I get a chance to a sample the food and drink I’ll report back on it, Dan.
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That truly is an extraordinary mixture of the old and new – and if someone was to write it in a novel, her editor would probably shake his head and mumble about the chances of something like this happening as unrealistic… Thank you for a lovely set of pics with an amazing backstoryJean:))
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Truth is often stranger than fiction, isn’t it, Sarah?
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Oh absolutely:)
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I have always had a thing for carved doors and this one is gorgeous. Good to see them capitalizing on their GoT fame to stir up new business.
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You posted some lovely carved doors, yourself, this week, Norm.
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You win this week’s door prize because none of the rest of us has a carved beauty like that one. 🙂 Plus, you provided me a learning opportunity to look up a word and learn – snug, a small private room within a public house. Have a great week, Jean. 🙂
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I learn so many cool things in the blogging world. Now I can add ‘snug’ to my vocabulary 🙂
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In the past, a snug was a small room off the main bar where women would mostly go for a drink, Joanne.
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Good heavens – have to keep the women segregated from the men. Who knows what mischief might come from mingling 😉
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Thanks, Judy. Have a lovely weekend, and stay snug if the weather turns cold
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@Judy, I didn’t know what a “snug” was either and was going to look it up, but you beat me to it and I thank you!
That’s one lovely and neat door Jean. It would be neat to go find the other doors. I’m a GoT fan.
Now how do you pronounce Enniskillen? Like its spelled? I’m certain it will sound much better with your accent than mine however you say it though. 😉
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It’s pronounced as it’s spelled, Deborah. I’d love to photograph the rest of the doors, now that I know where they are.
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Hello Jean, wonderful blog again, thank you for taking the time to write these. The carved door is amazing.
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Hi Jacklyn, thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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What a fun place and story!
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This town is an Aladdin’s cave for a Thursday Doors enthusiast, Jan.
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I love it, Jean!!
janet
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Thanks Janet 🙂
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Wonderful, Jean. The carved door is fabulous, and the the town is charming.
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It’s a lovely town with such friendly people, Jennie.
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It looks that way, Jean. Good to know!
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Awesome door! 🙂
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Thanks Brenda.
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Great post, Jean. I love the Victorian tiles and design. And the wooden door is fabulous. What skill! I had never heard of a “snug” before and assume it’s a small private room off the main bar?
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The snug was the room off the bar where ladies could drink discreetly, Patti 🙂
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I love it.
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Oh fabulous! There’s too much to love here! What an exceptional find, Jean!
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Thanks, Joey.
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Isn’t it wonderful that the Dark Hedges trees got a new life. These doors look fantastic.
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I’ll be on a mission next year to find the other nine, Inese. 🙂
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It is a great project for blogging. You will have to cover quite a distance, but it is worth the effort. Looking forward.
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