It doesn’t get much more central than Carrickfergus’ Dobbins Inn. Situated just a stone’s throw away from the historic Castle and St Nicholas Church, this 13th Century family run Inn is also one of Ireland’s oldest pubs.
At over 500 years old, Dobbins does a good job of oozing history without being cold and uncomfortable and if you’re planning on spending the night, it even has some modern updates like complimentary WI-FI, a TV and tea and coffee making facilities.
With a secret tunnel leading all the way to Carrickfergus Castle, a ghost room and a roaring coal burning fire, Dobbins has all the makings of a true haunted hotel, and if you’re lucky, you might even bump into the ghost of Elizabeth Dobyn (also known as Maud) who is said to roam the halls, stroking the faces of the patrons.
Aside from the hotel side of the Inn, the property also boasts a public bar and a 70 seater restaurant, which is perhaps a little dated, but is as atmospheric and cosy as you would expect.
The menu is extensive and wide ranging, with everything from a full Sunday carvery to traditional Irish and European dishes, and you can always count on the ‘Town’s Best Steak Deal’ which serves two ribeye steaks with sides, sauces, onion rings, garlic bread and a bottle of wine for only £28. 95.
Another great deal on offer is the ‘Cinema Deal’ which serves a main course, a side and a cinema ticket for the Omniplex down the road for only £12.95, which is definitely worth the money considering you would pay around £7 for the cinema ticket alone.
Of the choices offered on the cinema deal, I’d recommend the chicken burger with cheese, bacon and tobacco onions which is a hearty and surprisingly tasty feed to keep you going through any film. A good sized chicken breast coated in crispy breadcrumbs with plenty of tobacco onions, the quality of the food here is superb.
Every Friday and Saturday from 4pm – 7pm the bar also do a two for the price of one deal on cocktails with all sorts of interesting concoctions on offer, making this not only a great spot for a bite to eat, but also the perfect location to start a night out from, with many other pubs within walking distance.
Having been around for such a long time, businesses such as Dobbins Inn can often get over looked amongst the newer pubs and restaurants on offer, but with such good quality good, great atmosphere and even better prices, it’s places like these that we’ll keep coming back to.
For more information on rooms, deals or menus, visit the Dobbins Inn website here, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
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