Belfast’s first Night Czar on Troubles nightlife, Hollywood A-Listers in Belfast, and why he almost left NI for good

Belfast’s first Night Czar, Michael Stewart, reflects on 40 years in hospitality—from managing Bob Cratchit’s in 1987 amid the Troubles to helping shape the city’s post-peace nightlife through venues like The Fly, The Apartment, and The Northern Whig. He joins Cathy to talk about his pivotal early career choice not to join the Hong Kong Police, one Hollywood A-Lister’s visit to Belfast, and his experience as the cornerstone of Belfast’s nightlife scene during the Troubles, including the traumatic shooting of a 21-year-old bar worker in 1994.