A battered old pair of children’s shoes — believed to be around 400 years old — has a place of honour in a beautifully restored 18th century public house.

The battered leather shoes are being displayed in a glass case in O’Toole’s Bar in Co Armagh, having been discovered in the ancient walls of the old hostelry.

The pub was established in 1795 by the O’Tooles, who lived in the adjacent house.

Proprietor and descendent Bronagh O’Toole, pictured above with Richard Carron, of the Deluxe Group, believes the shoes were worn in the early 17th Century by one of her ancestors.

“They have been dated by the Ulster Museum as early 17th Century,” said Bronagh.

“Apparently it was a tradition way back for children’s shoes to be built into the wall, and obviously these ones have been well worn by one of my ancestors.”

The bar redesign and extension was carried out by the Deluxe Group of Portadown.

Past contracts include a refit of the QE2 ocean liner, refurbishing Middle Eastern palaces and helping to build Main Street and Thunder Mountain in EuroDisney.

“We’ve done a lot of pubs, traditional and modern,” said Richard Carron, business development manager of Deluxe.

“This one was great fun and a challenge to maintain the ambiance and atmosphere of such a famous one. Those shoes are a marvellous little touch.”