By Jenna Campbell
Copyright manchestereveningnews
One of Manchester’s oldest pubs has been given a new name amid a massive transformation. The Shamrock, on Bengal Street in Ancoats, dates back to 1808 and served the area for more than 200 years before its closure in 2018. It was taken over by the family-run Joseph Holt brewery in 2019. Following delays due to the pandemic, the 176-year-old family business has now begun a major renovation of the building. As work gets underway on a £1.8 million refurbishment of the Ancoats watering hole, it will now be called The Spinners Rest. Join our Manc Life WhatsApp group HERE The name was selected through a public vote and pays tribute to the mill workers who once lived and worked in the area. Richard Kershaw, CEO of Joseph Holt, said: “As a family business with deep roots in Manchester, our pubs are very much at the heart of the communities they serve. “That’s why we invited the people who matter most – our customers – to help choose a name that reflects the pub’s new chapter.” The Shamrock has long been a gathering place for Manchester’s Irish and Italian communities, particularly during the early 20th century. The Ancoats neighbourhood has seen a dramatic transformation in recent years and is now a thriving hub of bars, restaurants, and modern city-centre living. The Joseph Holt team said they ‘felt it was appropriate to give the much-loved pub a fresh identity that aligns with the area’s changing character’. Joseph Holt have said the extensive top-to-bottom refurbishment will preserve the building’s historic charm, especially as it sits within a designated conservation area. It also includes an expansion of the site – which boasts one of the few beer gardens in the neighbourhood. Richard Kershaw: “This is an exciting new chapter for The Shamrock. As it’s reborn as The Spinners Rest, we believe it will become a vibrant and welcoming hub for the Ancoats community – just as it always has been, but with a fresh look towards the future.” The pub is expected to reopen early next year, marking its transformation from a traditional Irish pub into a Joseph Holt venue.
