By Gabrielle Swan
JENNY Watts met Jenny Watts last week.
Liverpool woman Jenny walked through the doors of the historic Bangor bar on Wednesday after googling her name and finding out she shared a name with the iconic pub.
Jenny had already visited the local bar a number of years having carried out that oft repeated internet activity of googling your own name and seeing what popped up.
She was amused and pleased to find she shared her name with Bangor’s oldest bar so paid her first visit in 2018 followed up by another visit to her namesake just last week.
The pub is the city’s oldest, having been established in 1780. Over 30 years ago, it was named after Co Down’s own Robin Hood figure, Jenny Watts, whose tale is one of unrequited love, betrayal and piracy.
Jenny (not our modern Liverpool native) was the youngest daughter of Jack Watts, a notorious smuggler, dealing in coffee, tea, silk and brandy. The daughter quickly took after her father and became a pirate herself, regularly setting sail for the Isle of Man to get her hands on off-duty brandy to sell to a growing Belfast city.
She would then become a local hero, frequently giving to the poor.
However, the heroine would meet her end in mysterious circumstances. Some say a young squire fell in love with her, and was rejected by Jenny, leading him to alert guards of her whereabouts.
Some say she drowned in the very cave she used to store her treasure off the coast of Bangor.
Last week Liverpool Jenny came by boat and has no interest in the illicit trade of brandy. A freelance art producer working with galleries and artists, the Liverpool native relished her second trip to the island of Ireland.
Said Jenny: “I came to her pub six years ago, though there were different owners. I had come on a Saturday night, and it was super busy, but they got me behind the bar and got me a rugby shirt, it was a great night.
“This time I just wanted to come back, and again the staff have all been great.
Jenny was planning a trip throughout Ireland, including Cork and Kilkeeny, and decided to end her trip in Bangor and Jenny Watt’s bar.
Meeting with Jenny on the last stop in her adventure was the general manager of the pub, Johnny McMeekin.
“The pub has been known as a couple of different things but for the past 34 years it has been known as Jenny Watts,” said Johnny. “She is the first Jenny Watts to visit the pub that I know of.
“It must be nice to find a pub named after you,” he added.
