Belfast hospitality landlord puts entry pub Henry's on the market for £3.5m

One of Belfast's best-known pubs has gone up for sale with a £3.5 million asking price. Henry's on Joy's entry has been listed by Paul Camplisson's pub and property group Jar (Ire) Ltd after nine years of ownership. Formerly known as McCracken's, the 4,418 sq ft city centre complex was relaunched by the Clover Group in 2018 as Henry's and 'The Jailhouse', as a nod to the site's historic ties to Henry Joy McCracken, who was executed for his leading role in the United Irishmen's 1798 rebellion. The Jailhouse part of the building was reportedly where the 30-year-old rebel was imprisoned before being hanged on nearby Cornmarket. The licensed premises, one of just a handful of pubs still active in Belfast's historic entries, dates back to 1892. A spokesperson for the Clover Group confirmed the pub will continue to trade as normal. The hospitality operator signed a 20-year lease for the venue in 2017 under its 3 Wise Men Pubs subsidiary company. According to the listing agent Savills, Clover currently pays £200,770 in annual rent, which is subject to five-yearly upward-only rent reviews linked to RPI (retail price index) inflation. Clover is jointly owned by well-known Belfast hospitality figures Mark Beirne, Jim Conlon and Paul Langsford. The pub group also lease the city centre pub Fountain Lane from Jar (Ire) Ltd. Mr Camplisson's Jar (Ire) originally acquired Henry's in a 2017 triple-deal that saw him buy the Queen's Café Bar and the Beechill Inn from Seamus Harrison's Beechill Inns Group. Mr Harrison also sold his basement bar on Donegall Square East in 2017 to Brian McConville's MJM, who had leased the venue to the Clover Group before selling the listed building last year to the Belfast pub operator. Clover, which now operates Clarence Chambers as Margot and Rudi, is planning to invest £6m in a boutique hotel venture. Paul Camplisson has primarily focused his attention on pubs since selling his Drinks Inc retail business to Musgrave in 2019. Alongside city centre pub The Deer's Head, Lisburn Road venue The Bowery and Bob Stewarts in Drumbeg, he recently invested heavily in opening The Watson in the former Frames premises. He has also built up of a sizeable portfolio of well-known pubs in Belfast, which are leased to other operators. In the latest set of accounts for Jar (Ire) Ltd, its property portfolio was valued at £12.5m at the end of March 2025. Commenting on the sale of Henry's, Megan Houston, associate director at Savills, said: "Opportunities of this nature, in such a tightly held location, are exceptionally rare. "Henry's Bar & The Jailhouse is a standout asset within Belfast's hospitality market, combining a prime city centre location with a well-established trading history and a strong covenant. "The level of reversion built into the income profile will be particularly attractive to investors seeking both security and future growth."