For Joanne Shilliday, running The Hole in the Wall in Armagh is about far more than serving drinks. Since taking over the long-established pub in McCrum’s Court in 2007, she has built its role as a place where regulars are known by name, stories are shared and customers can find company when they need it.
Joanne worked at the bar for former owner Robert Lawson for several years before buying it from him. She had previously joked that if he ever decided to sell, she would become the owner. That idea became reality just as the smoking ban came into effect—an uncertain time for the hospitality trade, although The Hole in the Wall already had a beer garden that helped it adapt.
A pub built around its people
The Covid lockdown brought a different challenge. Joanne said many older customers lived alone and relied on the pub for social contact during the week. She was also concerned about the wellbeing of staff and regulars while the premises were closed and social distancing was required.
To create additional space for customers, she took over the former antiques shop next door, owned by Michael Emerson, and connected it to the pub. What began as an idea to knock through and add a few chairs became a full extension. Joanne described the decision as one of the best things the business had done.
The relationship between the pub and its customers is central to Joanne’s approach. She and her team know regulars’ names, usual orders, favourite seats and family details. She recalled one customer, Melvin, whom she phones every week. When his wife died, Joanne drove him to Cavan for the cremation rather than letting him make the journey alone by bus.
She also keeps an eye out when a familiar face does not appear. Among those remembered fondly are Joe Heaney, a keen gardener who exchanged vegetables with Joanne and planted roses at her home, along with other former regulars including Reggie and Bobby Nelson.
That sense of care extends to people who walk in for the first time. Joanne said she tries to understand whether a stranger wants to talk about where they are from and what brought them to Armagh—or simply needs reassurance. For her, that is why the work does not feel like a job.
From the historic jail to Rascals & Rogues
The building’s name reaches back to its earlier life. Constructed as a jail in Armagh in 1615, it held prisoners before their executions. With no state food provision, visiting families passed food through a hole in the wall, giving the premises the name it still carries.
One notable prisoner associated with the former jail was Seamus MacMurphy, described in the source as an outlaw who was hanged for stealing a sheep after being betrayed by his lover. The building received its first licence as a public house in 1693, beginning its transformation into the bar known today.
Joanne has continued that connection with the past through products made for the business. The Hole in the Wall produced its first whiskey, named Rascals & Rogues in tribute to the characters once held at the jail, while two more whiskeys are maturing in casks. One is due to be released before Christmas and another is expected in mid-2027.
The pub also serves Good Times, a 4.5% hazy pale ale created specifically for the bar. Joanne has worked with local breweries on other craft beers and has developed a graf using Long Meadow apples.
Festivals, mobile units and plans for Armagh
Joanne’s work now reaches beyond The Hole in the Wall. She also runs the Fourth Wall bar at The Market Place Theatre and has developed a Craft Beer Festival scheduled for September 11 at the venue.
Her ERA Music Festival, first launched in 2025, is due to return to Shambles Yard on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August. The programme is intended to attract visitors to Armagh while encouraging them to spend time in the city’s wider businesses, including hairdressers, shops, cafés and boutiques.
The operation has also expanded through two mobile units. Fizz Matters is a tuk-tuk serving Prosecco and spritzes, while ERA All Day is a coffee truck typically planned for Ardmore Playing Fields and other events.
Joanne said her staff have grown alongside the business. Amanda has been with The Hole in the Wall since 2007, while former staff member Lynne Ruddy—who was there when Joanne took over—still calls in daily for tea and remains someone Joanne turns to for advice.
From a former jail where food was passed through a wall to a modern Armagh pub producing its own drinks and hosting events, The Hole in the Wall’s story remains centred on people. Joanne’s stated aim is to keep developing the business and its place in Armagh life for generations to come.