{"id":608533,"date":"2026-08-29T19:00:38","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T19:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/608533\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T19:00:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T19:00:38","slug":"end-of-the-line-as-family-calls-time-on-150-years-behind-the-bar-in-co-down-village-the-irish-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/608533\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018End of the line\u2019 as family calls time on 150 years behind the bar in Co Down village \u2013 The Irish News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hilltown was a very different place when the Lowry family first took over a pub in the village.<\/p>\n

Many things have changed in the past 150 years, but there has always been a Lowry behind the bar the discuss it.<\/p>\n

More than a century on and the family\u2019s pub run is finally coming to an end in the village, with David Lowry\u2019s decision to put the Clonduff Bar on the market.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s the last in the line of family members to run the Main Street bar, which his grandparents David and Annie Lowry acquired in 1953 from the Malone family.<\/p>\n

\"‘End<\/a>\"Five-star<\/a><\/p>\n

Before that, David\u2019s grandfather and namesake grew up in another family pub further up Main Street.<\/p>\n

\"Lowry’sPublican David Lowry outside Lowry\u2019s Bar in Hilltown, County Down. The family-run pub, which has been in operation for more than 70 years, is set to be sold. PICTURE: BRIAN LINCOLN <\/p>\n

\u201cThe Lowry family have been running a pub in this town for 150-odd years,\u201d said David.<\/p>\n

But with no more family members coming behind David and his brother Manus, the Lowry\u2019s are now looking for an energetic young family to carry on the tradition.<\/p>\n

It hasn\u2019t been an easy decision for David, who literally grew up above the pub with his three siblings.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking back it seemed quite normal,\u201d he recalled. \u201cAs children we didn\u2019t know any different.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow that we\u2019ve all moved out of the bar and into our own homes, it seems a bit bizarre that we lived in this environment, because you had very little privacy.<\/p>\n

\"Lowry’sA photograph from the early 1970s showing the Lowry siblings David, Manus, Aideen and Sheila. PICTURE: BRIAN LINCOLN <\/p>\n

\u201cBut growing up we were very happy here. We always had lovely customers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe families who drank in it, their sons and daughters continue to come to the bar now.\u201d<\/p>\n

While his brother Manus followed in their mother\u2019s Sheila\u2019s footsteps, running the pub for 27 years, David followed his father Leo into pharmacy.<\/p>\n

With the chemist located next door, Leo was never too far away.<\/p>\n

Four years ago David took the decision to get back behind the bar, when his brother opted to step back on health grounds.<\/p>\n

\"Lowry’sDavid Lowry looks out the window of Lowry\u2019s Bar in Hilltown, which is set to be sold after more than 70 years in the family. PICTURE: BRIAN LINCOLN <\/p>\n

But he said the time has finally come to move on.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this stage I feel I\u2019ve taken it on as far as I can. There\u2019s nobody coming behind myself and Manus.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time for a new chapter, it\u2019s time for someone else to take it on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI continue to work a couple of days a week in pharmacy and it\u2019s just too much for me at this stage to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n

The walls of the bar, filled with pictures, jerseys and memorabilia are as much a family history as a history of the Clonduff parish.<\/p>\n

\"Lowry’sDavid Lowry points to his father Leo in a 1967 team photograph of Clonduff Shamrocks. PICTURE: BRIAN LINCOLN <\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad was great for cutting out newspaper articles and framing them,\u201d said David. \u201cThere\u2019s so much history on the walls.\u201d<\/p>\n

Full of emotion as he discusses the end of an era, David adds: \u201cIt\u2019s bittersweet for my siblings as well. It has triggered a lot of memories for them. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut they realise it\u2019s time for someone else to take it on board. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d love to see a young and enthusiastic couple taking it on, taking it to the next level and keeping it vibrant.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the best location in the village. As soon as you drive into the village from the Newry Road you see the iconic Lowry\u2019s sign on the gable wall. <\/p>\n

\"Lowry’sBeau, the much loved pub dog and a familiar face at Lowry\u2019s Bar in Hilltown. PICTURE: BRIAN LINCOLN <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the first port of call for many people. It\u2019s a meeting spot and it always has been.\u201d<\/p>\n

David said the premises have been very well maintained.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s walk-in ready. It\u2019s a great opportunity for someone to develop it and explore new options.\u201d <\/p>\n

The opportunities include planning permission for a coffee dock and a covered beer garden area.<\/p>\n

The village also has plenty going for it.<\/p>\n

\"Lowry’sLowry\u2019s Bar in Hilltown, Co Down. PICTURE: BRIAN LINCOLN <\/p>\n

\u201cHilltown itself is a busy thoroughfare and it\u2019s a main entry point for the Mournes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe get so many walkers visiting and staying over. There are Airbnbs springing up all over.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, he adds: \u201cEverything moves on.<\/p>\n

\u201cLowry\u2019s have had bar in this village for a long, long time. This is the end of the line.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lowry’sDavid Lowry and his brother Manus look over memorabilia collected through the years at Lowry\u2019s Bar in Hilltown, County Down. The family-run pub, which has been in operation for more than 70 years, is set to be sold. PICTURE: BRIAN LINCOLN <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hilltown was a very different place when the Lowry family first took over a pub in the village.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":608534,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[72,61,60],"class_list":["post-608533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608533","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=608533"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608533\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/608534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=608533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=608533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=608533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}