Cork developments

AwaitYourReply

CHealy wrote: »

This is great stuff, Iv walked Patrick Street thousands of times and never noticed those gates.

Such a pity that Dunnes Stores building is what replaced these streets.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.899465,-8.4708488,3a,75y,92.53h,95.56t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1si9KFetfIpQiSu63ZkozJVA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Not sure if you had a typo in your reference to Dunnes Stores and most of that area would have been Roches Stores which I think began as Cork Furniture Stores operating from 29-32 Merchant Street (street which ran from behind the gates to left of Debenhams down to Parnell Place) before eventually acquiring what was originally known as "London House" at No. 15 Patrick Street. The Roche family under company: Kilmaloda Ltd are still landlords of the property Debenhams in Patrick Street had traded (along with Caulfield's SuperValu supermarket in Merchants Quay Shopping Centre) from what I understand.

Sources:

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/landlords-get-go-ahead-for-legal-action-against-debenhams-1.4279761

https://www.historyireland.com/volume-23/roches-stores-patricks-street-cork/

Justin Credible Darts

Am I right in thinking the cake and bread shop in the street was belonging to Thompson's bakery ?

AwaitYourReply

Justin Credible Darts wrote: »

Am I right in thinking the cake and bread shop in the street was belonging to Thompson's bakery ?

I recall back in the 1970's until mid 1980's if you walked into Roches Stores on Patrick Street and went beyond the escalator stairs, you had the old Roches Stores supermarket, cigarette kiosk, Pick 'N' Mix sweets and other accessories and a side entrance out on to Merchant Street and it took you Across the narrow street to Roches Stores Cake Shop & adjoining Café (it had limited food offering like sandwiches, cakes, choc bars/wrapped biscuits, ice cream, minerals & teas/coffee. Gardening Dept, Collection Point for customers to leave in their shopping bags, Home ware, Furniture, Flooring etc;

Thompson's did also have a cake shop but it was not on Merchant Street - I think it may have been a restaurant called "the Tivoli" at one stage and it was on another narrow street that ran parallel with Merchant Street and was further up Patrick Street before you reach Mangan's Clock. It was situated right on the corner and it would have been the same Thompson's that had it's large bakery premises on MacCurtain Street. Incidentally most of the cakes supplied to Roches Cake Shop and Café were from Thompson's bakery too! Cork had a lot of independent bakeries in those days!

Justin Credible Darts

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

I recall back in the 1970's until mid 1980's if you walked into Roches Stores on Patrick Street and went beyond the escalator stairs, you had the old Roches Stores supermarket, cigarette kiosk, Pick 'N' Mix sweets and other accessories and a side entrance out on to Merchant Street and it took you Across the narrow street to Roches Stores Cake Shop & adjoining Café (it had limited food offering like sandwiches, cakes, choc bars/wrapped biscuits, ice cream, minerals & teas/coffee. Gardening Dept, Collection Point for customers to leave in their shopping bags, Home ware, Furniture, Flooring etc;

Thompson's did also have a cake shop but it was not on Merchant Street - I think it may have been a restaurant called "the Tivoli" at one stage and it was on another narrow street that ran parallel with Merchant Street and was further up Patrick Street before you reach Mangan's Clock. It was situated right on the corner and it would have been the same Thompson's that had it's large bakery premises on MacCurtain Street. Incidentally most of the cakes supplied to Roches Cake Shop and Café were from Thompson's bakery too! Cork had a lot of independent bakeries in those days!

as kid I worked with a breadman that delivered for thompsons....in an old comer van.


As for bread shops, my mum used to get the bread in McCarthy bakery on daunt square, where the phone shop was. Think they had their other sho on north main street across the road from tony's bistro.


my favorite though was abernathys from castlemartyr or donnellys on shandon street

marno21

Square Deal has gone back in to increase bed spaces to 280

http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/307364.htm

AwaitYourReply

Justin Credible Darts wrote: »

as kid I worked with a breadman that delivered for thompsons....in an old comer van.


As for bread shops, my mum used to get the bread in McCarthy bakery on daunt square, where the phone shop was. Think they had their other sho on north main street across the road from tony's bistro.


my favorite though was abernathys from castlemartyr or donnellys on shandon street

Yeah Thompson's was a wonderful Cork institution and a member of that family had kept a smaller scale operation going for some years after Thompson's closed on MacCurtain Street. Thoma sliced brown bread is one example! Incidentally, I think O'Brien's Sandwiches premises in Daunt Square was once "Floury Hands" which had a connection with Thompson's.

McCarthy's Bread in Daunt Square had an iconic presence - "Naturalle" restaurant (Naturalle also had branches in Queen's Old Castle and Savoy shopping centre) went in afterwards for a while but then O2 took over in Daunt's Square (O2 was later acquired by THREE Ireland mobile. McCarthy's also had a small cake shop just at corner of Castle Street/North Main Street and I think they also had another small premises half way down Oliver Plunkett Street.

Abernethy's Bread rings a bell

Donnelly's Bread also popular over the years!
See history on Donnelly's Bakery in Shandon Street, Cork by visiting below page!
http://homepage.eircom.net/~stmarysonthehill/comenius/traditionalfoods/bakery.html

Aside from Thompson's, McCarthy's, Donnelly's & Abernethy's
Other popular bread brands/bakery suppliers included some of following:

Mother's Pride (Fitzgerald's?)
Hadden's Bread, South Main Street
O'Shea's Bread, South Main Street?
Bracken's, Old Mallow Road/Paul Street
O'Keeffe's Bread
O'Dowd's, Kinsale
Fitzgerald's Bakery, Tramore Road, Togher
Harrington's Cakes/Choice Foods
Tea-Time Express
Old Mill
Charlie Duggan's, Liberty Street (The Raven Bar extended into this premises)
The Green Door on Academy Street

AwaitYourReply

Justin Credible Darts wrote: »

as kid I worked with a breadman that delivered for thompsons....in an old comer van.


As for bread shops, my mum used to get the bread in McCarthy bakery on daunt square, where the phone shop was. Think they had their other sho on north main street across the road from tony's bistro.


my favorite though was abernathys from castlemartyr or donnellys on shandon street

Not sure if you are aware of new plans on the former Thompson's Bakery premises on MacCurtain Street which will try to recapture some of it's rich heritage.

Well worth a read - I just hope it's future prospects can survive the tough economic effects arising out of the long Coronavirus lockdown restrictions which has brought down so many businesses.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/property/corks-iconic-thompsons-bakery-to-rise-again-in-different-guise-978546.html

https://www.thompsonhouse.ie/

Justin Credible Darts

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

Yeah Thompson's was a wonderful Cork institution and a member of that family had kept a smaller scale operation going for some years after Thompson's closed on MacCurtain Street. Thoma sliced brown bread is one example! Incidentally, I think O'Brien's Sandwiches premises in Daunt Square was once "Floury Hands" which had a connection with Thompson's.

McCarthy's Bread in Daunt Square had an iconic presence - "Naturalle" restaurant (Naturalle also had branches in Queen's Old Castle and Savoy shopping centre) went in afterwards for a while but then O2 took over in Daunt's Square (O2 was later acquired by THREE Ireland mobile. McCarthy's also had a small cake shop just at corner of Castle Street/North Main Street and I think they also had another small premises half way down Oliver Plunkett Street.

Abernethy's Bread rings a bell

Donnelly's Bread also popular over the years!
See history on Donnelly's Bakery in Shandon Street, Cork by visiting below page!
http://homepage.eircom.net/~stmarysonthehill/comenius/traditionalfoods/bakery.html

Aside from Thompson's, McCarthy's, Donnelly's & Abernethy's
Other popular bread brands/bakery suppliers included some of following:

Mother's Pride (Fitzgerald's?)
Hadden's Bread, South Main Street
O'Shea's Bread, South Main Street?
Bracken's, Old Mallow Road/Paul Street
O'Keeffe's Bread
O'Dowd's, Kinsale
Fitzgerald's Bakery, Tramore Road, Togher
Harrington's Cakes/Choice Foods
Tea-Time Express
Old Mill
Charlie Duggan's, Liberty Street (The Raven Bar extended into this premises)
The Green Door on Academy Street

Which bakery was it that did the " Big T " sliced pan ?

AwaitYourReply

Justin Credible Darts wrote: »

Which bakery was it that did the " Big T " sliced pan ?

Not certain
I came across "Big T" brand which I gather was a rounded bread having a popular presence in the UK during 1970's and it may have been produced by RHM (Rank Hovis McDougalls which was later acquired by Premier Foods in 2007.

Only visual image I can find of Big T brand was from an advert off ebay - I am not endorsing the advert product or seller - just for illustration purposes.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Big-T-Bread-Vintage-badges-x-2-1970s-/193488392116

jhegarty

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

I recall back in the 1970's until mid 1980's if you walked into Roches Stores on Patrick Street and went beyond the escalator stairs, you had the old Roches Stores supermarket, cigarette kiosk, Pick 'N' Mix sweets and other accessories and a side entrance out on to Merchant Street and it took you Across the narrow street to Roches Stores Cake Shop & adjoining Café (it had limited food offering like sandwiches, cakes, choc bars/wrapped biscuits, ice cream, minerals & teas/coffee. Gardening Dept, Collection Point for customers to leave in their shopping bags, Home ware, Furniture, Flooring etc;

Don't forget the toy shop was down there as well.

AwaitYourReply

jhegarty wrote: »

Don't forget the toy shop was down there as well.

Only if you entered by the back door having walked across the old Roches Car Park which was all originally on ground level only. You could walk out back door of the old Café to the car park outside and accessed Roches Leisure Store by a rear door. The front entrance was further up Patrick Street near Blair's Chemist and the sign over the premises used say something like: Roches Stores Leisure Shop. It had toys, board games, sports equipment - trying to recall if they stocked Fine Wines, Beers & Spirits as well?

Captainsatnav

https://www.corkcity.ie/en/council-services/services/environment/air-quality/

Another survey here folks. Only takes a couple.of minutes.

ofcork

Decision due on plan to turn coliseum into hotel and apartment development on western road by the Corbett's, also development in Blackpool.

Captainsatnav

https://www.corkcity.ie/en/council-services/news-room/latest-news/consultation-on-cork-city-development-plan-2022-2028-launched.html

Consultation on Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028 launched... I think it's vitally important that each contributor to this forum takes 5 minutes to engage with CCC directly and articulate our gripes with the direction the CEO et al are going, but do it in a constructive and non-personal manner.

Seamai

namloc1980 wrote: »

Bishop Lucey Park is an awful hole. Last time I was there, there were junkies shooting up at the back of the park. Wouldn't go near the place after that.

When it opened first it was a welcome bit of green space. I used to work nearby and on a sunny day I'd head there with a sandwich at lunchtime but as the years went by it became the haunt of more and more undesirables who constantly harass anyone seeking a bit of downtime.

daithi7

Captainsatnav wrote: »

https://www.corkcity.ie/en/council-services/news-room/latest-news/consultation-on-cork-city-development-plan-2022-2028-launched.html

Consultation on Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028 launched... I think it's vitally important that each contributor to this forum takes 5 minutes to engage with CCC directly and articulate our gripes with the direction the CEO et al are going, but do it in a constructive and non-personal manner.

As a matter of interest, what are your main issues with this plan?

Captainsatnav

daithi7 wrote: »

As a matter of interest, what are your main issues with this plan?

Didn't say I had any.

chalkitdown1

It's not so much their plans, it's them becoming a reality which is the main problem. The city council are a great bunch o' lads for grand plans but everything they do is mired with delays, overspending or half-arsed implimentation. Just look at the "pedestrianization" of certain streets lately for an example of how lazily they implement even the simplest of things. Even a couple of bollards to protect the cycle lanes seems to be beyond them.

That's before getting into the more major developments like the Event Centre, Dunkettle, Marina Park, the ongoing fiasco of Tramore Vally Park pedestrian entrance etc. It's an endless list of incompetence.

daithi7

Captainsatnav wrote: »

Didn't say I had any.

Well then spare us the sanctimonious bullsh1t about articulating 'our gripes' ffs .....e.g.

"....I think it's vitally important that each contributor to this forum takes 5 minutes to engage with CCC directly and articulate our gripes with the direction the CEO et al are going, but do it in a constructive and non-personal manner....."

Captainsatnav

daithi7 wrote: »

Well then spare us the sanctimonious bullsh1t about articulating 'our gripes' ffs .....e.g.

"....I think it's vitally important that each contributor to this forum takes 5 minutes to engage with CCC directly and articulate our gripes with the direction the CEO et al are going, but do it in a constructive and non-personal manner....."

ok bro, will do

Slim Charles

Captainsatnav wrote: »

ok bro, will do

Well, he has a point, as much as i can't decipher his username. Are you raging against the machine out of boredom, or do you actually have a point to make ? What's upset you here?

cantalach

Slim Charles wrote: »

Well, he has a point, as much as i can't decipher his username. Are you raging against the machine out of boredom, or do you actually have a point to make ? What's upset you here?

Read back over even the last ten pages on this thread and there are numerous posts in which people are taking issue with the actions (or inactions) of the city manager. I presume it was those gripes that he was encouraging us to raise. I thought it was a reasonable point tbh.

Incidentally, what’s so mysterious about the username “daithi7”? Maybe you’re not originally from our little island but Daithí or Dáithí is a fairly common Irish name. Many people think it’s the Irish for David but it’s actually not.

namloc1980

3 senior ministers in government from Cork including the Taoiseach. They better deliver the goods for Cork.

Captainsatnav

namloc1980 wrote: »

3 senior ministers in government from Cork including the Taoiseach. They better deliver the goods for Cork.

Parish pump politics? Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil? Never.

namloc1980

Captainsatnav wrote: »

Parish pump politics? Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil? Never.

All politics is local, it's at the very core of our system. If they don't deliver investment and infrastructure in Cork now then it'll never happen.

ofcork

Looks like the square deal development is going ahead.

WhoElse

titan18 wrote: »

I always thought it was Peace Park as well. Even if you google Peace Park, it just refers you to Bishop Lucy Park

Google has a habit of learning from users, so common misperceptions can get echoed back.

The Peace park is the strip by the Electric for sure, as (up until the refurb maybe 20 years ago) it used to have a memorial for the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a low granite block etched, surrounded by flowers. It got disappeared when the Electric patio expanded.

Actually during the same refurb they redid the marble with the names etched on the great war memorial. Whatever stonemason they hired figured no one would notice any changes, and dropped names to give themselves more room. My late aunt saw her grandfather's name disappeared, and gave the corpo enough grief that eventually the stonemason was dispatched to add his name back in squeezed in at the end.

She was some woman for fighting the corpo, when Dunnes Stores carpark was meant to go on Grattan Street, she led the residents protests for years to stop it. In the end I think it was a midden heap that tipped it, significant architectural digging required, so it went to the quays, and the corpo sent all the North Main Street traffic down Grattan Street as a **** you to the residents instead....

WhoElse

Flickerfusion wrote: »

It’s also not like they have vast amounts of green space to maintain!

The Marina is also another mess. As much as we all go on about how nice the Atlantic Pond is, it really is sad looking in terms of maintenance and just TLC. The marina itself also needs to be repaved and probably lit with some attractive and appropriately soft lighting, although no doubt if the city council did light it it would be some garish modern art lamps.

Shalom Park - it’s a field basically - they make zero effort with it.

There’s a patch of land up at the top of Patrick’s Hill which could be a massively pleasant vista point and a major focus of the city centre, but sure they just mow or like an agricultural field.

They do a reasonable job on Fitzgerald’s Park, but the Bishop Lucy / Peace Park is just ignored the only green space in the city centre and let it rot.

Then we have the Tramore Valley Park (aka the landfill) which hasn’t even got pedestrian or cycle access!!!!??!?! You basically drive into it off a fast moving urban dual carriageway.

I’m sorry for making a comparison to Dublin, but if DCC left Merrion Square or Stephens Green in that condition or built a park with no pedestrian access on the M50 there would be protests!

People need to start holding city councillors to account on these issues - ask questions, pay attention and actually call for changes during the local elections.

We also need to snap out of this notion that everything in Cork is great and being utterly uncritical of the place. It has huge potential but it needs to be driven and that’s not happening.

I would love to see a bit of real urbanism take off here. It’s actually happened in many of the small West Cork towns and there’s no reason the city couldn’t do similar on a much grander scale.

This is 100% accurate. Friends moved away years ago and considered coming back to Cork. They couldn't believe how poor the parks/playgrounds are around the city. In Waterford even tiny towns maintain green spaces better and usually have decent playgrounds in range.

To be fair, Fitzgerald's park is lovely. But it gets the investment as a form of tokenism, "see we have a lovely park". One maintained park, for the whole city.

If I could pick any site, I'd love to see the FÁS building rubble site turned into a park, opening up sight lines and a pleasant walk from Nano Nagle on Douglas Street right down to the coal quay. It would take pressure off the electric boardwalk too.

opus

WhoElse wrote: »

To be fair, Fitzgerald's park is lovely. But it gets the investment as a form of tokenism, "see we have a lovely park". One maintained park, for the whole city.

If I could pick any site, I'd love to see the FÁS building rubble site turned into a park, opening up sight lines and a pleasant walk from Nano Nagle on Douglas Street right down to the coal quay. It would take pressure off the electric boardwalk too.

For sure, Glen River park (that most people don't know about!) doesn't get a single rubbish bin in there. In fact a local group have a clean up organised every month seeing as the council won't do it.

This sight greets me every time I walk into town, has anyone come any plans to do something about the eyesore in front of the Bridewell Garda station?

namloc1980

opus wrote: »

For sure, Glen River park (that most people don't know about!) doesn't get a single rubbish bin in there. In fact a local group have a clean up organised every month seeing as the council won't do it.

This sight greets me every time I walk into town, has anyone come any plans to do something about the eyesore in front of the Bridewell Garda station?

Don't know who owns it but it could be lovely little micro park facing onto the river. It's been derelict for as long as I can remember.