Bangor's former courthouse reopens as music venue

A former bank and courthouse in County Down has reopened as one of Northern Ireland's newest music venues.

The Court House, on Bangor's seafront, was once home to the city's magistrates' court.

The Victorian-era building was decommissioned in 2013, leading to a campaign to transform it into an arts venue.

Local band The Florentines are set to be the first group to perform on its stage.

The venue was built in 1866 as a branch of the then-Belfast Banking Company before becoming a magistrates' court in 1952.

The campaign to reopen the building as an arts venue was started by Bangor Shared Space before charity Open House took over.

NI Justice Minister Naomi Long (centre), with Open House founders Alison Gordon and Kieran Gilmore

Bangor's very own Gary Lightbody, lead singer from the band Snow Patrol, was among the project's supporters.

The charity helped secure crowd and government funding to make the idea a reality.

Before the renovation...

... and after

The extensive renovation saw the removal of walls and internal remodelling while original features, like sash windows and cornicing have been restored.

The venue now features a sound, lighting and audio/visual system alongside a kitchen and bar.

'Wonderful discoveries'

Kieran Gilmore, director of Open House, said the renovation brought with it "wonderful discoveries", including the uncovering of an original tiled floor in the old banking hall.

"It has taken us seven long years and a great deal of trial and error to get to this stage," he said.

"We want to thank every single person who has played their part in making this project a reality and in bringing The Court House to Life.

The Florentines will be joined at the venue's first performance by another local group, Lemonade Shoelace.

It will also host a regular classic film club, literary and spoken word events, comedy, theatre as well as pop-up food and drink events.

It will also lead to the equivalent of 15 full-time jobs once it is at full capacity.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said: "It is great to see the former courthouse being brought back into use through the Community Asset Transfer process.

"I am sure it will become an iconic arts venue that will make a significant contribution to the city of Bangor."

Key funders of the renovation include The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Department for Communities.

Dr Paul Mullan, director for Northern Ireland at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said the conservation-led repairs have "successfully preserved this important heritage, meaning the building is no longer at risk and creating a much-needed cultural venue to be enjoyed by locals and visitors from further afield".