The lost Irish pubs of Coventry as city gears up for St Patrick’s Day

It’s nearly the time of year when many celebrate Irish culture by grabbing a Guinness and dressing up in green to mark St Patrick’s Day. People in Coventry will soon be celebrating the day by heading off to the pub.

This year, St Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday – the perfect day to celebrate all things Irish on the weekend. There will be plenty of bars and pubs to choose from to celebrate the occasion – but not all establishments will be lucky to celebrate.

Over the last few years due to Covid and rising bills, pubs across Coventry have struggled to stay open, including the iconic Irish pubs. So we have put together the lost Irish pubs of the city that we’ve loved and cherished as St Patrick’s Day looms.

Read more: Coventry pub landlady opens up about huge Sky and BT bills and being ‘killed’ by Covid

The Hope & Anchor

The pub was popular with fans of music who helped with the careers of The Specials and Hazel O’Connor

The Hope & Anchor was a busy main street pub on Whitefriars Street and was a former music venue that helped to launch the career of The Specials, Hazel O’Connor, and The Swinging Cats. The pub was brought by Coventry University who said it had to be demolished to stop it falling into further despair. It was demolished in November 2009, despite a campaign to save it.

Flanelly’s

Flanelly’s on Holyhead Road was known as the city’s best venue for live sport on the big screen and live weekend entertainment. The owners Liz, Sean, and Mary-Kate Flanelly decided to take a step back after more than 20 years in the pub trade and said they were ‘looking to new opportunities’. The last celebrations were held on Christmas Day in 2023 when Liz said running the pub was a ‘fantastic journey’. The pub is now up for sale.

The Nursery Tavern

The Nursery Tavern on Lord Street in Chapelfields

The Nursery Tavern in Chapelfields will be shutting on St Patrick’s Day as the owner leaves, however, it could re-open in the coming months. Manager Neal said they are hoping someone will take over the 18th-century pub. The pub initially decided to close on Tuesdays due to struggles with ‘energy costs and staffing’ but will close on March 17 as it was ‘time to move onto other things’.

The Beer Engine

The Beer Engine was the place to go for a ‘stellar pint’ and ‘fabulous’ live music in the city and was described as ‘one of the best boozers’ in Coventry. Many spent their weekends at the pub on Far Gosford Street but it closed and reopened many times over the years before shutting in 2014.

It was involved in various scandals from gangs plaguing the venue, and live bands told to keep the noise down by the council to the pub turning into ‘Bostons Bikini Bar’ which sparked anger from pubgoers and feminists.

What pubs do you miss in Coventry? Let us know in the comments below.

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