Oakleaf Group acquire popular Dungannon bar

ONE of Dungannon’s longest owned family bars is set to reopen under new management, having been acquired by the Magherafelt-based Oakleaf Group.

Hagan’s Bar, located in the heart of Dungannon on Irish Street, first opened its doors in 1969 when it was purchased by Dominic and May Hagan. Since 1990, their son Paul and his wife Briege have taken over the reins and have since invested significantly in the property, developing it into a 500+ capacity venue.

Paying tribute to the bar’s staff and customers, Mr Hagan said that the bar is now in ‘safe hands’ with the Oakleaf Group.

“We have enjoyed many years at the top of our game and we are very proud of that,” said Mr Hagan.

“But we could have done it without the fantastic staff that we had over the years, and of course all our wonderful customers.

“The Oakleaf Group has a wealth of experience in the hospitality business and I have no doubt we are leaving it in very safe and capable hands.”

The Oakleaf Group opened its first entertainment venue, TIME Bar and Venue, in Cookstown in 2012.

They currently oversee a total of seven venues throughout the North including Clubland in Cookstown and The Harp and Fiddle in Strabane.

Speaking of the company’s latest acquisition, Oakleaf Managing Director Patrick Scullion said, “Hagan’s is one of Tyrone’s longest-running and most popular family bars and we are delighted to add it to our portfolio of venues in the Mid-Ulster region and beyond.

“We already have a very strong footprint in Cookstown, so when the opportunity arose to acquire such a prestigious venue in neighbouring Dungannon, it seemed a very logical and exciting move for the company.

“Plans are already in the pipeline for a major refurbishment of the bar and associated beer garden with food being added to enhance the existing offering, but we’ll share those details in due course.”

The Oakleaf Group are also in the process of completing work on another venue in Cookstown, The 40 Thieves, which is expected to open it’s doors in October on the previous site of The Central Inn.

The 40 Thieves plans to offer ‘a taste of the nineteenth century Big Apple’ to Cookstown with an Irish-American style pub as well as eight new serviced apartments above and to the rear of the vicinity.

This is the first phase of a ‘town centred living’ initiative to help revitalise William Street, with another 15 apartments currently being built on the site.