An Irish couple who first met in Australia before returning home to Northern Ireland to pursue their dream of owning their own hospitality business has acquired the Gables in Dungannon as part of a six-figure investment supported by Ulster Bank.
Niall McKearney, originally from the Dungannon area, and Lisa, from Tipperary, met in the Australian outback in 2012.
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And it was while they were abroad that the Gables came on to the market.
“Lisa was working in hospitality at that time and I was already very familiar with the business and the local area,” Niall said.
As a teenager, Niall worked part-time in the Gables as a glass collector before starting an apprenticeship as a carpenter at the age of 18. He would continue to work part-time at the Gables over the next decade during his time as a tradesman.
“I went from collecting glasses to working front of house and managing the food service. Even as a joiner, the Gables was special to me. I loved working there. The business, the community, the customers.
“There was always a part of me during those years that imagined a day that I might run this place. It eventually came on to the market and even though we were on the other side of the world the draw of the place still brought me home.”
Niall and Lisa returned to Northern Ireland in 2017 where they married. They took over the lease of the business in October the following year.
“That was a lease-to-buy arrangement, originally for two years, but Covid came into the frame and everything changed.
“It would be five years before we finally got everything over the line with the support of Mary and the team at Ulster Bank,” Niall said.
Mary O’Neill, business development manager at Ulster Bank, said the business now has the momentum and resources it needs to grow into an important community asset.
“Niall and Lisa are bringing renewed energy to the business and we’re very pleased to provide the funding facilities that are helping make this years-long dream a reality.
“The Gables is a local landmark, sitting at the heart of the community. A real asset that will continue to grow as an important tourism and hospitality destination under their management.
“We’re committed to supporting small business owners right across Northern Ireland and we’re proud that ambitious entrepreneurs like Niall and Lisa are returning home to strengthen the local economy and add real value to communities.”
The duo already have ambitious plans to expand, with Niall saying: “We’re exploring options, but recognise the huge potential of the site for redevelopment to accommodate overnight stays.”
