Past shops of Cork!

AwaitYourReply

Flesh Gorden wrote: »

All the former Music Shops that disappeared in the space of a few years, when they could no longer try and compete with Thomann.


Crowleys:

Formally of 29 MacCurtain Street and 10 Merchant’s Quay, as seen in Rory Gallagher's Irish Tour 74.

Russels Music:

Formally of 27 Parnell Place and prior to that I believe where the Cork Deaf Centre is way back in the 80s.
Sold all the cool Marshall amplifiers and and the pointy Jackson and ESP guitars.

Jeffers:

Formerly located in the upstairs section of Flor Griffin, Parnell Place and then later 10 St. Patricks Quay.
Same crowd as Jeffers of Bandon, the piano specialists who are still in business.

Opus II:

131 Oliver Plunkett Street, sold mostly classical sheet music and accessories for orchestral instruments.


Munster Sounds (Richer Sounds?):

Formally of 1 Lower Glanmire Road, sold P.A and installation speaker equipment.


The Guitar Shop:

Formally of 20 MacCurtain Street, tiny little place


Guitar Shop in Camden House:

Run by a Belgian guy, stocked mostly higher end guitars and amplifiers.
You wouldn't have much change from €2k.

McCullough Pigott’s
What became Pro Musica, so not really the same as the shops above.
For some reason though, I'm a memory of them being on Patricks Street in the late 80s/very early 90s. Probably wrong as I was a kid.

We have a piano that was purchased in Cox & Co, 122 Patricks Street and I located an old ad for Atkins Piano Warehouse, also on Patricks Street, way back around 1900.


There was a little Trad store on MacCurtain Street as well I used to be dragged into as a little kid, had no appreciation for it at that age.
I think it was somewhere near where Sakura is now.

A few years ago, a place popped up on Coburg Street that was selling old tour hire equipment. Mixture of Amplifiers, desks and synths, didn't stick around long.


Up Town Grill was another feature of MacCurtain Street, didn't mind being dragged in there.

Pigott & Co. had a piano warehouse premises at 117 Patrick Street according to Cork City and County Official Directory and Almanac 1945 Entries for St Patrick's Street

Sources:
https://nationaltreasures.ie/submissions/XKPRFP
https://www.echolive.ie/life/Beloved-Cork-city-is-dying-of-neglect-4ceb2ab0-20f1-4dee-b008-217c2cbbe392-ds
http://www.corkpastandpresent.ie/places/stpatricksstreet/businessdirectories/1945/
http://www.corkpastandpresent.ie/cultureincork/theatre/corkshakespeareancompanytheloft/1928%20Cork%20Shakesperian%20Company%20programme/files/assets/common/downloads/publication.pdf

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Irish Examiner/The Echo city centre currently have an advertising sales office located at Number 80, Oliver Plunkett Street with corner on Princes Street (Upper). I think it was previously a Budget Travel office for a number of years before this. If memory serves me right, I believe this was the same unit where NORVAN's a delicatessen store was based and I used love the produce on display along with the gorgeous aroma if I was ever passing the entrance of this particular establishment as a child/teen all those years ago.

Looking back you had many butcher stores like: Donovan's just off Patrick Street & later a branch in Wilton Shopping Centre, Flynn's Butchers, Byrne Butchers in city centre and others such as: P. O'Connell & Sons (later transferred out to The Lough around late '90's, Tony O'Connell's, O'Shaughnessy's butchers all on different points of Barrack Street.

Speaking of Barrack Street, I recall Pope Bros. had a large fuel depot right opposite Murphy's by Reed's Square for many years and I still remember the high wall/gateway surrounding it.

Sephiroth_dude

SusieBlue wrote: »

Happy days going into Synthetic Records on Washington St. after school on a Wednesday (half day!!) to buy tickets for the teen discos held in City Hall. The early noughties feel like centuries ago now :pac:

I use to go in there to buy vinyl, good times, also the vinyl room next door.

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O'Brien's ice cream parlour / cafés - one was by Singer's Sewing Centre (Singer's Corner) on Washington Street right opposite St.Augustine's Church while the other was located near start of MacCurtain Street on left-hand-side just after you turn right after coming from Bridge Street.

Note: These were completely different to O'Brien's Irish Sandwich Bars first established by Brody Sweeney . There were TWO of the O'Brien's ice cream parlours in Cork City Centre for many years.

Oafley Jones

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

O'Brien's ice cream parlour / caf- one was by Singer's Sewing Centre (Singer's Corner) on Washington Street right opposite St.Augustine's Church while the other was located near start of MacCurtain Street on left-hand-side just after you turn right after coming from Bridge Street.

Note: These were completely different to O'Brien's Irish Sandwich Bars first established by Brody Sweeney . There were TWO of the O'Brien's ice cream parlours in Cork City Centre for many years.

Wasn’t that where Foot Solutions is on Grand Parade or was that a different lot?

feargale

TheDriver wrote: »

We shouldn't forget the capitol. Or the cinema on winthrop St. What about shoe shop where smuggle now is.
And Ginos........

Wasn't that the Lee Cinema? A small one.

In Patrick Street the Pavilion and the Savoy, with the sing-song interval.

In Macurtain St. the Coliseum and the Palace.

There was one in Washington St., the Ritz?

All gone now.

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Oafley Jones wrote: »

Wasn’t that where Foot Solutions is on Grand Parade or was that a different lot?

No the O'Brien's ice cream parlour/cafés were on Washington Street and MacCurtain Street.

I know "Foot Solutions" as my mother often bought footwear and it's on left-hand-side of what was originally Fitzgerald's Electrical building (also referred to as Mac Gearailt in signage) on Grand Parade. Fitzgerald's Electrical once had the entire ground floor for retail although; in it's latter days had retreated to the right-hand-side and was under the "Expert Electrical" franchise prior to it's eventual demise. I reckon they could not compete as bigger stores arrived in Cork over the years such as Flor Griffin (now gone), Madden's TV Stores (now gone), Harvey Norman, Curry's PC World.

useless

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

I think Halpins Restaurant was located on Cook Street (Lower) between Oliver Plunkett Street and South Mall. It had an all wooden facade. I had a meal there in late '80's.

Was brought there a few times for birthdays & Christmas shopping trips in the late 80s/early 90s... still remember the chicken curry with half & half rice & chips!

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feargale wrote: »

Wasn't that the Lee Cinema? A small one.

In Patrick Street the Pavilion and the Savoy, with the sing-song interval.

In Macurtain St. the Coliseum and the Palace.

There was one in Washington St., the Ritz?

All gone now.

So very true.
the Ritz had become the "Classic Cinema" before it's demise as a picture house and the same cinema was also known as "The Washington" too for a time.
Capitol and Mini Capitol were two separate screens in the days before it became the Capitol Cineplex (6 screens)
Lee Cinema on Winthrop Street by Leeside Leisure
Pavilion Cinema >HMV>Golden Discs
Coliseum>Leisureplex
Palace Cinema>Everyman Palace Theatre
KINO art house cinema on Washington Street West was previously snooker/pool hall?
Imperial Cinema where Saville's menswear on Oliver Plunkett Street

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Flesh Gorden wrote: »

All the former Music Shops that disappeared in the space of a few years, when they could no longer try and compete with Thomann.


Crowleys:

Formally of 29 MacCurtain Street and 10 Merchant’s Quay, as seen in Rory Gallagher's Irish Tour 74.

Russels Music:

Formally of 27 Parnell Place and prior to that I believe where the Cork Deaf Centre is way back in the 80s.
Sold all the cool Marshall amplifiers and and the pointy Jackson and ESP guitars.

Jeffers:

Formerly located in the upstairs section of Flor Griffin, Parnell Place and then later 10 St. Patricks Quay.
Same crowd as Jeffers of Bandon, the piano specialists who are still in business.

Opus II:

131 Oliver Plunkett Street, sold mostly classical sheet music and accessories for orchestral instruments.


Munster Sounds (Richer Sounds?):

Formally of 1 Lower Glanmire Road, sold P.A and installation speaker equipment.


The Guitar Shop:

Formally of 20 MacCurtain Street, tiny little place


Guitar Shop in Camden House:

Run by a Belgian guy, stocked mostly higher end guitars and amplifiers.
You wouldn't have much change from €2k.

McCullough Pigott’s
What became Pro Musica, so not really the same as the shops above.
For some reason though, I'm a memory of them being on Patricks Street in the late 80s/very early 90s. Probably wrong as I was a kid.

We have a piano that was purchased in Cox & Co, 122 Patricks Street and I located an old ad for Atkins Piano Warehouse, also on Patricks Street, way back around 1900.


There was a little Trad store on MacCurtain Street as well I used to be dragged into as a little kid, had no appreciation for it at that age.
I think it was somewhere near where Sakura is now.

A few years ago, a place popped up on Coburg Street that was selling old tour hire equipment. Mixture of Amplifiers, desks and synths, didn't stick around long.


Up Town Grill was another feature of MacCurtain Street, didn't mind being dragged in there.

KELLY's Music Store (with it's PYE logo sign) including Grand Parade Post Office alongside Capitol Cinema on Grand Parade Cork.

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useless wrote: »

Was brought there a few times for birthdays & Christmas shopping trips in the late 80s/early 90s... still remember the chicken curry with half & half rice & chips!

I believe ECO's restaurant in Douglas may have a connection with the same Halpin's as far as I know. Happy days of Halpin's restaurant in Cork City all those years ago.

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useless wrote: »

Was brought there a few times for birthdays & Christmas shopping trips in the late 80s/early 90s... still remember the chicken curry with half & half rice & chips!

You would probably enjoy a visit to G.B.C. Restaurant/Coffee Shop. Williamsgate Street Galway City Centre (Galway Bakery Company). One of their popular dishes is the Chicken Curry - They'll always give you the option:Would you like half rice & half chips?

the beer revolu

Regarding cinemas, everyone's forgotten The Academy on Military Hill.


The roller disco in the Arc on Saturdays!

Oafley Jones

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

No the O'Brien's ice cream parlour/cafwere on Washington Street and MacCurtain Street.

I know "Foot Solutions" as my mother often bought footwear and it's on left-hand-side of what was originally Fitzgerald's Electrical building (also referred to as Mac Gearailt in signage) on Grand Parade. Fitzgerald's Electrical once had the entire ground floor for retail although; in it's latter days had retreated to the right-hand-side and was under the "Expert Electrical" franchise prior to it's eventual demise. I reckon they could not compete as bigger stores arrived in Cork over the years such as Flor Griffin (now gone), Madden's TV Stores (now gone), Harvey Norman, Curry's PC World.

Maud's Ice-Cream? Would have been late 90s or early 00s.

the beer revolu

Oafley Jones wrote: »

Maud's Ice-Cream? Would have been late 90s or early 00s.

Maud's was where Foot Solutions is.
As was Oz Cork restaurant.

valoren

Mahers Golf in Penrose Wharf.

They used to have a shop on Lower Glanmire Road before moving to Penrose.
Remember getting a sand wedge and putter there for pitch and putt and a smally.

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the beer revolu wrote: »

Regarding cinemas, everyone's forgotten The Academy on Military Hill.


The roller disco in the Arc on Saturdays!

I thought the cinema on Military Hill was called the Cameo?

https://www.peoplesrepublicofcork.com/forums/showthread.php?t=241027

I recall being at a roller skate disco in Summer '83 in Courtown, Co. Wexford back so; I gather it was the popular thing during the 80's at the Arc in Cork too.

The Arc was the Arcadia Ballroom on Lower Glanmire Road opposite Kent Railway Station. In it's latter days the Arc was home to the C.I.E. (Córas Iompair Éireann) Staff Social Club. Now Arcadia Hall apartment complex as far as I know.

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the beer revolu wrote: »

Maud's was where Foot Solutions is.
As was Oz Cork restaurant.

Both of these establishments would have occupied a space previously used by Fitzgerald's Electrical as the entire ground floor was originally the same shop (in the days before Fitzgerald's were involved as part of Expert Electrical franchise). It was strange at first when Fitzgerald's only occupied the right hand side of the ground floor for retail. I had forgotten Maud's Ice Cream and Oz Cork restaurant operated there before Foot Solutions. I reckon O'Brien's ice cream parlour on Washington Street was still in business until mid-late '90's so; maybe Maud's were trying to tap into their custom if they set up in late '90's as it would have only been a short walk around Singers Corner to Grand Parade.

Another store that reduced it's shopfront size/retail floor space is Tracy's Shoes on Patrick Street (opposite Boots Pharmacy) There is an e-cigarette/vaping store on the other section that Tracy's once also used for many years.

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valoren wrote: »

Mahers Golf in Penrose Wharf.

They used to have a shop on Lower Glanmire Road before moving to Penrose.
Remember getting a sand wedge and putter there for pitch and putt and a smally.

My younger sister bought her first pair of addidas roms in Maher's on Lower Glanmire Road back around 1981/82 period. Mahers was in the basement of a terraced house building across from the former Esso filling station by the traffic lights (opposite Unity House). Penrose Wharf had not yet been developed and it was also before Merchant's Quay Shopping Centre, Jury's Inn, Michael Collins/Eamon DeValera bridges or South City Link Roads were not even built. Ha, in those days if you wanted to go to Dublin/Waterford/East Cork you had to head across Patrick's Bridge, MacCurtain Street, Lower Glanmire Road, Tivoli etc; as no Jack Lynch tunnel, Dunkettle interchange or South Ring Road either. B+I Line ferry was probably still in/out Tivoli ferryport at that stage.

the beer revolu

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

I thought the cinema on Military Hill was called the Cameo?
.

Yes, my mistake.

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the beer revolu wrote: »

Yes, my mistake.

Perhaps the name Academy was somewhere else of interest in Cork in bygone days. Maybe something once associated with Academy Street that is no longer there in 2019. Meadows & Byrne, the Green Door cake shop & café, M+P O'Sullivan, Cork Examiner & Evening Echo offices, ESB Electric Retail Store...

When Opera Lane replaced the former Faulkner's Lane it led to other developments like the complete re-fit of Dunnes Stores. Emmet Place also saw a lot of change in past 15-20 years with Johnson & Perrott moving out, closing of The Grand Circle pub etc;

the beer revolu

Beechers Inn was on Faulkner's Lane, too.
Subsequently became a gay bar called Toboo, I think.

useless

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

You would probably enjoy a visit to G.B.C. Restaurant/Coffee Shop. Williamsgate Street Galway City Centre (Galway Bakery Company). One of their popular dishes is the Chicken Curry - They'll always give you the option:Would you like half rice & half chips?

I’m in Galway more than in Cork these days so will definitely give it a shot!

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useless wrote: »

I’m in Galway more than in Cork these days so will definitely give it a shot!

GBC Coffee Shop & Restaurant has been a Galway City institution for many decades. Unfortunately like so many businesses in Galway and across this country, GBC has been hit by so many challenges and stiff competition from other restaurants, cafés, bars serving food etc; I would have first used it during late 90's and the place would stay open later and have a lot of staff serving with many patrons. Over past 10 years GBC has just got quieter so less staff, less customers and it closes much earlier in comparison to late 90's and '00's. GBC need to update menu options and become more competitive in terms of prices charged at a time when trade has been dropping quite significantly.

When you visit Debenhams Restaurant upstairs in Patrick Street the same problem occurs, less menu options, more empty counter spaces, less staff, less customers and little or no atmosphere unlike the busy trade done in bygone days of Roches Stores.

McDonald's restaurants have done two refits, new innovations, new menu options all within the past decade in order to stay ahead of the competition and it seems to have paid off as they have remained relevant with their customers judging by their continued popularity.

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the beer revolu wrote: »

Beechers Inn was on Faulkner's Lane, too.
Subsequently became a gay bar called Toboo, I think.

I knew someone who once worked part-time in Beecher's around '96/'97 period. No idea what came afterwards. Not sure if Beecher's was owned by the Reidy family who also had Le Chateau on Academy Street and the Wine Vault on Western Road.

the beer revolu

AwaitYourReply wrote: »

No idea what came afterwards. .

I just told you, it was a gay bar called Taboo (almost 100% on the name).

Cork Trucker

the beer revolu wrote: »

I just told you, it was a gay bar called Taboo (almost 100% on the name).

It was Taboo i remember it from the days of hanging around waiting for my car while it was in Johnson & Perrott.

Cork Trucker

Who remembers 'The favourite' on Patrick's Street? Many an under age child got served cigarettes in there.

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the beer revolu wrote: »

I just told you, it was a gay bar called Taboo (almost 100% on the name).

I never doubted you - I was just saying that I did not know myself what became of it after Beechers - I was only in there on one occasion back around 1996/97 and I cannot even recall much about the inside.

I just found a photo of Taboo for anyone interested:

http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=CC&regno=20512878

http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=images&county=CC&regno=20512878

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Cork Trucker wrote: »

Who remembers 'The favourite' on Patrick's Street? Many an under age child got served cigarettes in there.

Yes I remember it on Patrick Street across from the Statue.

http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=CC&regno=20512894