An Irish couple who first met in Australia before returning home to Northern Ireland to pursue their dream of owning their own hospitality business have acquired the Gables in Dungannon, in County Tyrone, as part of a six-figure investment supported by Ulster Bank.
Niall McKearney, originally from the Dungannon area, and Lisa, from Tipperary, met one another in the Australian Outback in 2012. It was while abroad that the Gables came onto the market. The duo officially took ownership of the business in late 2023 and already have ambitious plans to expand.
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 continued to work part time at the Gables over the next decade, during his time as a tradesman.
“There was always a part of me during those years that imagined a day that I might run this place,” said Niall. “It eventually came onto 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, when they married. They took over the lease of the business in October of the following year.
“That was a lease-to-buy arrangement, originally for two years, but Covid came into the frame and everything changed,” said Niall.
“It would be five years before we finally got everything over the line, with the support of Mary and the team at Ulster Bank.”
Mary O’Neill, business development manager at Ulster Bank, said that the business now has the momentum and resources that 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,” said O’Neill.
“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.”
