Fancy hanging a Belfast pub on your wall? Check out this fantastic calendar by Belfast-based photographer, Tara Molloy.
Belfast’s pubs have a lot to offer, as anyone who has visited the city will attest. From beautiful pints to delectable food and live music sessions to DJ nights, the city’s top establishments boast plenty to suit all tastes.
Thanks to the work of one of Belfast’s best independent photographers, you can now hang one – make that 12, actually – of the city’s best bars on your wall with the 2024 Belfast pubs calendar.
Tara Molloy – a Belfast-based photographer
Tara Molloy is a Belfast-based photographer who has worked with some of the city’s best street artists – like Artist.Zippy and Wee Nuls – as well as local musicians and others who make Belfast’s contemporary cultural heart beat.
Photography has always been a way for Tara to express herself and manage her mental health through creative output.
She combined these two facets with a short documentary series, Our Mind Matters Most, which documented people engaging in activities that make them feel good.
Beyond her work in an urban environment, Tara has previously produced some stunning landscape and nature photography, examples of which formed the basis of a 2021 calendar that showcased Northern Ireland’s beautiful natural world.
Select prints from the photography that made up her 2021 calendar are available via her shop linked below.
2024 calendar – showcasing Belfast’s best pubs
For this year’s calendar, Tara returns her focus to the urban environment, highlighting 12 of Belfast’s best-loved pubs.
The evergreen classics take centre stage, with 2024 starting with the renowned Crown Bar before leading onto other traditional Belfast pubs like Bittles, Kelly’s Cellars, Madden’s, White’s Tavern, the John Hewitt, McHugh’s, and the Duke of York.
There is also room for some contemporary favourites on Tara’s 2024 calendar: the Sunflower, American Bar, Reporter, and Ulster Sports Club.
The best pubs in Belfast – the photographer reveals all
We asked Tara why she decided to opt for pubs for her 2024 calendar after her previous calendar focusing on nature proved a success.
“Ireland is synonymous with pubs,” she explained. “Even for those who don’t drink, the pub symbolises community, craic, and music.
Belfast pubs, in particular, are so beautiful, too. So, I felt that they’d generate a lot of interest”.
Indeed, the city is full of excellent bars. It must have been difficult to choose just 12, but we asked Tara to narrow it down further. We asked which is her favourite, which does the best pint of Guinness, and, perhaps hardest of all, which is her favourite photo.
“My favourite has to be the Sunflower,” she said. “The very varied crowd makes for an excellent atmosphere; you get into some of the strangest – in a good way – conversations in the Sunflower.
“The best pub for a pint of Guinness is undoubtedly Bittles. It always tastes better in a no-frills, no-nonsense environment, and that’s exactly what you get in Bittles!
“In terms of my favourite photo, I’d have to say the one of Ulster Sports Club. The beer garden to the side is covered with art by some of the best local and international street artists, and it makes for a really great shot”.
Tara’s calendar and a selection of her prints are available on her shop. For further examples of her work, check out her Instagram.
