Tom Slevin was among the generation of gentleman Belfast publicans who provided a haven for people of all backgrounds during some of the city’s darkest days.
His working life encompassed the whole of the Troubles and he was known for running an open bar, meaning anyone who walked in could be assured there would be no bother.
A man of faith and a strong moral compass, he was also a giving person all his life, including various charities he contributed towards and volunteering with the Red Cross after retirement.
He is fondly remembered by fellow publicans and his many former employees and customers for his friendship, wise counsel and generous nature.
Although he lived a lifetime in Belfast, Tom was born in July 1942 to Maggie McGuire and Bernard Slevin in Fintona, Co Tyrone, the eldest and last surviving of five children. He loved the openness of the Tyrone countryside, and had fond memories of working outdoors.
The family moved to Belfast and later Holywood for work in the late 1940s, but Tom never lost his connection with his roots, travelling back as often as he could.
As a young man he once helped thatch a local house. It was a precursor to the many jobs and ventures Tom would take on – he never shied from a challenge.
Having tried his hand at several apprenticeships, he eventually settled in the bar trade and served his time with Paddy Kelly in Holywood. He then worked the bar trolley on the train from Belfast to Dublin, keeping going through long days on his feet.
Tom went to work in a number of bars in Belfast, including the Regency Hotel. He became a charge hand and was head-hunted numerous times.
However, he had other ideas: being his own boss was what he wanted and he managed to convince a few bank managers along the way to back him.
Tom met Bangor girl Patricia McVeigh and they married in 1965, the same year he took over The Old House on Albert Street in the Lower Falls.
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It was a bustling, vibrant bar, with all types of characters: musicians, journalists; an eclectic bunch, he would say. The Clancy brothers, Tommy Makem, Ronnie Drew and fiddling legend Seán McGuire all played there.
With the Troubles raging, and gun battles on his doorstep, he decided to make the move to the city centre. But while he was leaving behind the mayhem on the Lower Falls, he was entering a world of security cordons, bombings and the general fear gripping Belfast at that time.
Tom bought a pub on Church Street, opposite St Anne’s Cathedral, and renamed it The Blackthorn. It soon became the place for traditional music, with bands including The Pikemen, Batterin’ Ram and Blackthorn.
Being situated beside The Irish News, Belfast Telegraph and News Letter, the bar was a regular haunt for journalists and photographers. Tom always knew what would appear in the papers the day before. Lunch time was also popular for its Ulster Frys and roast dinners.
Many years later, following plans to develop the area, now Writer’s Square, Tom had to find alternative premises. He bought The Albert Inn in Skipper Street, now The Spaniard in the Cathedral Quarter, and ran a successful bar, with trad sessions on Thursday nights, until his retirement in 1999.
Tom was a private person, even though he spent much of his life listening to stories, jokes and tales of woe. His knowledge was broad-ranging and he liked to share it – he had an interest in nature, trees in particular, history, weather patterns, cultures, languages, maths, engineering and politics. He attended numerous classes trying to grasp An Ghaeilge. He also enjoyed walks around the North Down coastal path and Cavehill and Belfast Castle.
He also loved watching hurling, Gaelic football and his beloved Tyrone – ‘Lámh Dearg Abú' being his regular war cry. Eating out with a glass of red wine was also a favourite, and he enjoyed golf in earlier years and was sought-after in Royal Belfast Golf Club as a caddy.
Tom Slevin died aged 81 on June 19. He is survived and sadly missed by his daughters Caroline, Siobhán and Pauline, seven grandchildren and a great-grandson.