Great experience! We came to Friel's as part of a cruise ship excursion in Belfast. Our bus was on its way back from Glenshane Country Farm, where we learned about sheepherding, which was great as well. We thought we were simply coming for lunch, but it was so much more than that!! Dermot, the fifth-generation owner, gave an interesting presentation on the building's history and shared some great stories about the original owners while we sat in the beer garden. Then we were taken to the museum/visitors center where we learned about the town's history with Gorta, Swatragh's Famine Story. We entered an interactive room that told the story of Dr. Mooney and his wife, Sarah, who operated a surgery and dispensary at this location. They had also set up a soup kitchen during the potato famine. In 1992, the Friel family found an original famine soup pot from Dr. Mooney's time. They also discovered a window when renovating during COVID. It was thought that people would come to the window to get their soup. We toured the rest of the museum, which was very interesting. Then we went to the restaurant for lunch. I loved the interior and the whole vibe. The exterior is also beautiful with plants and flowers. Since we were such a large group, we were given two choices for lunch, chicken or beef. Plus, we got one free alcoholic drink. I chose a nice cold beer. I had the grass-fed beef, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, broccoli, and carrots. The beef was so tender, you didn't need a knife. The meal came out piping hot! Even the carrots were delicious, and I'm not a big fan of carrots. The service was great, considering they were serving so many people at once. It was honestly the best meal I'd had during our entire cruise vacation. read more