Standing on the corner of Bridge Street and John Street, this bar occupied a prominent position in the social life of Derry and has undergone several changes of name and function over the decades.

During the 1950s, the building operated as The Canadian Hotel. In the 1960s, it was converted into a public house known as The Star Bar, before later being renamed The Cutty Sark. In the 1970s, during the height of the Troubles, the premises suffered serious damage when it was bombed, marking a violent chapter in its long and varied history.

Both before and after the Second World War, the establishment was a popular haunt for sailors from the many navies that docked in Derry during that period. Accounts recall British, Norwegian, French, Canadian, Spanish, American, and Portuguese naval personnel frequenting the bar, giving it an unmistakably international character at a time when the city was closely connected to Atlantic shipping routes.

Despite its lively reputation, the building was widely regarded as deeply unsettling. It was later confirmed that, at one point in its past, the premises had operated as a funeral parlour -a detail often cited as a possible source of the persistent stories that followed.

During its years as The Star Bar, staff who both lived and worked on the premises reported a range of unexplained experiences. These included lights switching on in empty rooms, the sound of heavy footsteps echoing through the building, and, most disturbingly, figures appearing at the foot of beds during the night. Loud noises – such as furniture being dragged or struck in rooms above – were frequently reported, yet repeated inspections by the owner revealed no obvious cause.

Passers-by on the street also claimed to see lights shining from the window of one particular upstairs room late at night. Suspecting mischief or a hoax, the owner arranged for a member of staff to stand outside and signal whenever the light appeared. On one such occasion, the signal was given and the owner hurried upstairs, only to find that the room in question was still locked. When the door was finally opened, the room was empty, with no sign that anyone had been inside.