Belfast’s ‘notoriously grumpy’ publican John Bittles has declared the Fleadh a “game changer” for the city after opening day handed him the busiest Sunday he has seen during 36 years pulling pints at the well known bar.

Mr Bittles previously hit the headlines for refusing to serve customers who ordered half pints or a glass of coke, however, the well-known Belfast landlord is now smiling as his bar is packed to the rafters thanks to the Fleadh.

Speaking to The Irish News on the second day of the all-Ireland Fleadh, the owner of Bittles Bar on Upper Church Lane said the eight-day festival was the single biggest thing he had witnessed in half a century in the trade.

“Yesterday was as good a day as I’ve ever seen,” he said.

“As far as a Sunday would go, that was the busiest Sunday in 36 years. As far as the day would go, it was as busy a day as I’ve ever seen.”

Mr Bittles said the benefit was already visible in many places across the city.

“It’s a game changer for Belfast – not only for the pub trade, for Belfast,” he told The Irish News.

“Ourselves yesterday, and just generally around the city centre, all the bars, people have gone out of their way. They’ve put on all sorts of things. It’s brilliant.”

Having walked the city centre himself on Sunday, the publican said the crowd was drawn from every section of the community.

“Everybody seemed to be soaking up the atmosphere. I had a walk around the city centre myself, and I’m doing this a long time — this is the biggest event I’ve seen and everybody seems to be doing well out of it. Definitely the biggest ever in 50 years, the biggest event by a mile.”

Bittles Bar has held its pints at £6.50 for the week, with Mr Bittles saying he had not raised prices for the festival. The bar is running informal drop-in sessions rather than a booked music programme. “You just rock up and you play away,” he said.

Asked what Belfast might retain once the Fleadh moves on, Mr Bittles pointed to the outdoor tables that have appeared across the city centre this week, giving parts of Belfast a continental feel.

“The more outdoor seating the better,” he said.

“I noticed this month the cruise ships are in practically every single day, and all those people off the cruise ships are maybe a bit more used to it, they want to see it, it’s good to see, it looks well. A lot of the outdoor stuff, it’s not shabby looking — it’s neat and tidy and clean.

“The people next to me today, everybody’s sitting out, they’re having their breakfast down the street. It’s not particularly a sunny day, but those people are outside. So it is a thing people are doing and want to do.”