The Hawthorn Inn (Co.Down)

“A long established public house on a prominent corner site in an idyllic rural setting. The bar has been at the heart of the local community for generations and operated by the same family for over 90 years. The premises were extended and refurbished to a high standard approximately 15 years ago.” Like the similarly listed Seven Stars, The Hawthorn Inn is just down the road from the small town of Banbridge, where the notorious Iveagh Foxhounds are kenneled. We can perhaps guess what ‘heart of the local community’ means then (to quote the subtitle of an article in the pro-hunt Irish Field, “The Iveagh Foxhounds meet at The Kennels Banbridge was a wonderful example of a joyful coming together of rural community life” as a hint.) Nothing like the ‘community’ coming together to cheer on the killing of local wildlife. The Hawthorn has been a meet for hunts for many decades, and in a country where – shamefully and against the wishes of the majority – fox hunting is still legal, we can perhaps guess what a meet of the Iveagh described as a ‘Hack and Snack’ in April 2025 might lead to…