New Wetherspoons to open in former Church beside Queen’s

The beautiful listed building just down the road from Queens on University Road is set to become a brand new piss up spot. Bought in 2014 by J.D. Wetherspoons the building is apparently close to being turned into a new part of the bar chain.

Another bar is also set to open on royal avenue, very near to the new University of Ulster building set to open in a few years. With the oncoming influx of new students to Belfast it seems like the Wetherspoons company has smelt the chance for a big profit off students looking for a cheap pint.

This brings Belfast in line with British mainland Law that states all universities must have three things to officially classify as operating at acceptable standards: A functioning library, a building in which the Students Union can hold meetings, and a Wetherspoons no more than 300 miles away from the front doors.

Sociology final-year Pádraig Mac Cionnaith said: “There’s been something missing round queens since The Elms closed when I was first year. It’ll be sweet having a choice of somewhere else to drink – and the price of the drink in Spoons is another bonus”

Hopefully, however, people will actually go to this bar.

While the chain pub now owns the building they are still to obtain planning permission and have to contest the listed status of the building (probably so they can fit a keg fridge in the Apse.) They do however already have planning permission for the Royal Avenue bar that will take the place of the former JD Sports.