Irish bar Mother Mary’s has announced its closure in Manchester, just 18 months after opening.
The bar and live music venue opened last May on New Wakefield Street, taking over the building that had previously been home to legendary student haunt Font.
But just over a year after opening, and this Manchester Irish pub has announced its sudden closure due to financial pressures.
Mother Mary’s, at the time of opening, was headed up by nightlife veterans Greg Dwyer, Joseph Finegan and Chris Sharp, who transformed the venue with state-of-the-art sound systems for its live music offering.
Spread across two floors, the venue also served spice bags, pizzas, and plenty of Guinness, and hosted many-an-after party for some of the city’s biggest gigs.
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Their full statement addressing their closure states: “It breaks our hearts to share that Mother Mary’s, as of this past weekend, has been forced to close its doors due to financial pressures.
Mother Mary’s Irish bar in Manchester has announced its closure. Credit: The Manc Group
“Only last week we were representing our venue at the This Is Manchester Awards as shortlisted nominee’s, so you can imagine this is a shock to everyone involved.
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“Over the past year, Mother Mary’s has become so much more than a bar, it has grown into a true community hub. We’ve been home to grassroots music, inclusive club nights, and events that brought together people from all walks of life. From the bands who played their very first gigs on our stage (and have already gone on to fill bigger venues), to the regulars who made this place feel like home, to the countless partygoers who filled the dance floor with joy. YOU are what made Mother Mary’s so special.
“Spaces like ours that are wheelchair accessible, queer-inclusive, independent, and dedicated to championing local talent are so incredibly important. Especially also with the heart and spirit to offer a free space to fundraisers and events that are integral to those in our city that are often underrepresented. What we’ve built together is rare, beautiful, and deeply loved.
“It’s hard to imagine a world without Mother Mary’s, and while this may be the end of this chapter, we truly hope it’s not the end of our story. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for the love, the music, the laughter, and the community we created together.
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“Keep an eye out on our social media for any updates, we still have memories of our own from events that we would like to share with you. While our doors may be closed, our soul is very much still here and in everything we do.
“Please keep sharing the love and the memories. Every post, every message, every bit of support means the world right now.
“With love and gratitude, The Mother Mary’s Team.”
The cosy Peak District pub serving a pick’n’mix sausage and mash menu
Daisy Jackson
There’s a Peak District pub that’s turned one of Britain’s most beloved comfort foods into a full-on pick’n’mix.
Tucked away in the postcard-perfect village of Castleton, Ye Olde Nags Head is serving up a fully customisable menu of sausage and mash dishes.
We’re talking near-endless combinations of proper pub grub.
You start by choosing your sausages from a daily rotating selection (not a sentence you hear every day, but we’re into it).
Expect classics like Cumberland alongside more adventurous options like venison and mustard, or even wild boar and orange, plus a veggie sausage daily.
Then it’s onto the mash – you can go for flavours like cheese and onion, wholegrain mustard, or even black pudding mash.
Classic cumberland, mustard mash, and mushroom sauceVeggie sausage with cheese and onion mash and classic gravyTucking in
To finish? A choice of rich, hearty gravies and sauces to bring it all together, whether that’s a classic onion gravy, a peppercorn sauce, or a creamy wild mushroom sauce.
And if that wasn’t enough, you can even upgrade your bangers and mash pick’n’mix by having it all served inside a giant Yorkshire pudding.
Ye Olde Nags Head is a historic 17th-century pub, with a roaring fire in every room and cosy bedrooms upstairs.
Inside Ye Olde Nags Head pub in the Peak DistrictYe Olde Nags Head pub is near Mam Tor
It’s one of those flagstone-floored, beamed-ceilinged, mismatched-furniture type pubs that welcomes everyone in every state, whether you’re caked in mud from a hike or popping in on a coach tour.
Another of the pub’s specialties is the Derbyshire Breakfast, a hearty plate of sausage, smoked bacon, black pudding, free range egg, grilled tomatoes, field mushrooms, baked beans and fried bread.
The pub also offers takeaway breakfast butties, so you can use it for both a pre-hike stop and a post-hike pint.
Given it’s just minutes from the ever-popular Mam Tor hike, this is one pub you’ll definitely want to add to your next Peak District day out itinerary.
The hillside farm in the Peak District making its own ice cream
Daisy Jackson
Did you know there’s a 300-year-old farm in the Peak District serving up some of the freshest ice cream you’ll ever taste? And yes, you can meet the cows that made it while you’re there.
Welcome to Hope Valley Ice Cream, a family-run gem where things are kept refreshingly simple: happy cows, proper farming, and seriously good ice cream.
Set in the heart of the Peak District countryside, this place is about as wholesome as it gets.
The ice cream is made on-site in the farmhouse, literally just metres from where the dairy herd are out grazing.
You can watch the animals, wander around the farm, and then tuck into a scoop or three perched on a milk pail stool, or a picnic bench (or even a decorative tractor).
Hope Valley Ice Cream has some amazing seasonal ice creams, like lemon curd, elderflower, and blackberry, alongside all the classics and a rather delicious tiramisu.
You can grab a cone, sit down with a coffee (again, made with milk from the nearby cows), or go all in with a freshly-made waffle if you’re feeling fancy.
Takeaway tubs from Hope Valley Ice CreamYou can get a mini pail of ice creamMeet the newborn calves at Hope Valley Ice CreamTuck into your ice cream on a milk pail stoolHope Valley Ice Cream
And if you’re the type who really loves ice cream? You can actually order a full pail of it, with four huge scoops plus whipped cream and sauce.
The farm itself is run by the Marsden family, who’ve been working this land for generations. It shows in everything – they’ve created a place that feels genuinely welcoming, not just another tourist stop.
Beyond the ice cream, you’ve got plenty of reasons to stick around. There are calves (including the newest tiny arrivals), plus donkeys and pigs to say hello to.
Whether you’re heading out on a hike or just fancy a drive into the Peaks, this is one pitstop that’s absolutely worth it – and honestly, it’s worth the trip on its own.
Daisy Jackson -
13th November 2025 
