Work is well under way on a major refurbishment of one of Dungannon’s most popular bars.

A mainstay in the heart of the town for more than half a century, Hagan’s Bar in Irish Street was purchased last September for an undisclosed sum by Magherafelt-based 1 Oak Leisure Ireland.

The bar shut its doors on January 11th to start work on ‘an exciting new chapter’ and is now undergoing a massive refit with sights set on a mid-March reopening.

While the new owners are keeping plans close to their chest, 1 Oak Leisure Ireland director Nicky Wright (pictured above) has revealed that, after five decades as Hagan’s, the name of the bar will change to The Blackthorn Tavern.

Nicky said: “We’re investing significantly to breathe fresh life into this much-loved venue. The plans look amazing, work is now well under way and I’m sure our regular customers will be delighted when we re-open as The Blackthorn Tavern in March.

We don’t want to give too much away at this stage but I can reveal that we’ll be giving the venue a full traditional bar re-fit and creating a new beer garden outside. We’ll be open seven days a week, offering great food, live music and, of course, lots of craic.”

She added: “We are very proud of our venue’s past and we embrace that, but now we’re looking forward to continuing its proud legacy in the future.

Our loyal customers can expect to see the same smiling faces that they’ve been familiar with for years, only in fantastic new surroundings that we hope will continue to bring people together and pave the way for a new generation of memories for Dungannon.”

As well as holding on to existing staff, 1 Oak Leisure is on the look-out for new staff with up to 20 full and part-time jobs available.

Headquartered just outside Magherafelt, 1 Oak Leisure Ireland opened its first entertainment venue, TIME Bar & Venue, in Cookstown in 2012 and now operates a total of eight venues in Northern Ireland, including The 40 Thieves, Fox & Fiddle, Cherry Tree, Long Mile and Clubland in Cookstown, The Harp and Fiddle in Strabane, and The Black Sheep in The Loup.