Cheekpoint: The Irish name for Cheekpoint is Rinn na Sioga or in English, Point of the Streak. Subsequently it was called Bolton Inn but this name is now no longer used and the original is the only one recognised. Before the building of the pier at Dunmore East, Cheekpoint was a thriving prosperous town, being the station at which the mail packets from England for Waterford stopped. In addition there were cotton, rope, and hoisery factories which disappeared when the mail packet station was transferred to Dunmore East.

Rev. William Downes, M.A., DA, Protestant Chancellor of Lismore, died in Waterford in 1793 and was buried in the old church of Faithlegg. By his will he left £50 for encouraging the manufacture of cotton either in the City of Waterford or the Barony of Gaultier, and the cotton factory at Cheekpoint was established by Cornelius Bolton, Esq., who was chiefly responsible for all the improvements carried out at Cheekpoint. In 1667 Captain Bolton was carrying out improvements in Faithlegg. In the proceedings of the Irish Parliament in 1783 there is mention of 272 acres "in Fatleg which were retrenched by Captain Bolton", and early in the 19th century the factories at Cheekpoint were established. In fact the Boltons did so much for Cheekpoint that the name was changed to Bolton or Bolton Inn.

Sleater "Topography of Ireland" published in 1806 has the following reference:- "Bolton, formerly called Cheekpoint, cotton factory and hoisery, established by Mr. Bolton. A most commodious Inn for passengers in the packets to and from Milford Haven in Pembrokershire. An earlier writer refers to it - "Mr. Cornelius Bolton lives very retired in the country and has employed a considerable part of his fortune in building a large village where he has established several important manufactures, particularly looms. The industry which he encourages in his colony renders it probable that his expense will be repaid him, and that it will become an oblect of utility to the public and of profit to him although suggested by motives of humanity ".

We are further told that to the spirited exertions of Mr. Bolton the citizens of Waterford were said to be primarily indebted for the establishment of the packets from England, and that the diversion of these packets from Cheekpoint to Dunmore East would be a serious loss to the proprietor of Cheekpoint who had expanded a considerable sum of money on hotels and other accommodations, unless Parliament should take this loss into consideration.

It is evident from all this that from 1790 or so to 1815 Cheekpoint was a place of some importance, that Mr. Bolton spared neither trouble nor expense in making it a suitable landing place for the passengers on the packets to and from England, and that the transfer of the station to Dunmore East meant a very considerable loss to him.

The Suir Inn as it is today is basically the same building built by the Bolton Family incorporating a much older structure.

Recent History

In 1971 the pub was bought by Dunstan and Mary McAlpin. Dunstan had been working in the textile industry in Dublin but decided to get out of the "rat race"! Mary up until then had been busy bringing up their five children and another one was added within the first couple years at Cheekpoint. Soon after the family moved into the pub they moved out again into a cottage accross the road while major refurbishment and building work took place. This was to last almost a year.

The pub stayed open and had a steady drinks trade due to the busy fishing harbour. There was a demand for food and soon after Fresh Salmon Rolls appeared on the counter of The Suir Inn. It has been said that this was the birth of the Salmon Roll. Lunches and evening meals soon followed and by the late '70s the pub had built up a considerable local reputation for fresh seafood and an authentic Indian curry, Dunstan had spent several years in India during his youth and always enjoyed cooking as a hobby.

Since the 70's the pub has remained virtually unchanged. Members of the family have taken an active part in the running of the business while Mary and Dunstan still maintain a considerable behind the scene active involvement in the kitchens during the day.