Charlie's Bar Christmas advert highlights impact of grief during festive season

A pub in Co Fermanagh has released its Christmas advert with an important message highlighting the impact of grief during the festive season.

Charlie’s Bar made headlines around the world with its 2023 ad which featured an elderly man being ignored in the street before joining a young couple, and their dog Missy, for a friendly chat as they shared a drink with the message: “There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t met yet.”

The Enniskillen pub's video was viewed more than six million times, with an appeal launched alongside it raising £23,000 for local charities Age NI and SWAP (South West Age Partnership).

Read more: Northern Irish bar wins top prize at Community Pub Hero Awards

Read more: Star of NI pub's viral tearjerker Christmas advert on true message of the ad

Now, the pub has returned with another tear-jerker, as its Christmas video for 2024 debuted on social media on Friday evening with a similarly important message.

Speaking to Belfast Live, bar owner Una Burns said they have been blown away by the response so far, with over 5,000 likes and 232,000 views on Facebook alone so far.

"The reaction has been amazing. Even just reading some of the comments; we've had comments from people who have lost loved ones, who work in nursing homes, messages from people who support bereaved parents. It's a really incredible position to be in, to be able to share something that can impact so many different people in different ways, in different parts of the world," Una said.

This year's video shows an older woman, Mary, who reads a letter just before Christmas from her husband John who died a few months earlier. She sits alone reading the letter, where he reminds her he's looking down on her and the family, with his stocking still hanging over the nearby fireplace.

Alongside the letter in the envelope is a photograph taken in Charlie's Bar the previous year, showing Mary and John smiling with their family. Mary's son then comes in to make sure she's okay, before the family head to the pub to be together.

Arriving at Charlie's Bar, they recreate the photo from the previous year, with Mary smiling as she enjoys being surrounded by her loving family.

As for the inspiration for this year's video, Una explained: "I was very aware that although for many Christmas is a very joyous occasion, for others it's tainted with sadness. I wanted to draw inspiration from our own community, and what I've seen over the years in the bar, and the stories I've heard.

"In the bar you're in a privileged position where people share what they're going through, and I wanted the advert to have an actual message, and I wanted it to bring a bit of warmth and reflection to people's homes this Christmas.

"I think it shows pubs are more than just a drinking place, they can be a real source of comfort and hope for people. They can be a real beating heart for communities, particularly in rural Ireland, for those who maybe do find Christmas more difficult. We're very aware of that and we do open on Christmas Day, as some people may be at home on their own."

Similar to last year's advert, the video was filmed on an iPhone however this time, one of the stars of the 2023 ad, Meagan Daley, was behind the camera. Meagan was one half of the young couple who befriended the elderly man in the previous advert.

But Meagan isn't the only actor from last year featuring this time around. Martin McManus, who starred as the elderly man last year, provided the voiceover for John reading the letter this time around.

Una said: "None of those people are actors, they're all local people, and it was not an easy task especially for the lady who played that part, it's a very difficult ask of somebody to portray that in a sincere way. It was quite raw and people have said that it is very poignant. It's a credit to the people who were willing to do that and be involved this year.

"We had all the cast of last year involved again - we had the dog, the male from last year was in the booth behind the scene in the bar this year, and the voice over you hear is the old man, Martin, who was in the video last year."

This year, Una said they're not competing with what they did in last year's viral video, but said they're open to keeping the tradition going in future years.

She said: "I would love to put one out next year, but we'll have to see if the idea comes! It's important to me we stay true to our values and what we put out is authentic.

"But I think reading the messages people have commented, and even people calling the bar asking if we were going to do a video this year, it would encourage you to put another one out because it obviously does touch people in ways we didn't think it could."

Reflecting on the impact of this year's video, Una added: "It makes people reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

"Someone messaged me last night saying it's reminded her to get her grandfather to write his grandkids some letters before he passes, as he'll not be there to see them getting married, but that he has all his faculties at the minute, and his funny humour, and she wants them to remember him for that. We're in an incredible position as a family run bar in Enniskillen to even have that impact."

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