Business in Co. Cork / Kerry (Good Points/Bad Points)

claire2003

I'm living in Co.Mayo at the moment, but I'm considering moving..

I would like to establish a business, and I have been looking at the following towns as possible suitable locations;

_CO. CORK_
Mallow
Fermoy

_CO. KERRY_
Listowel
Tralee
Castleisland
Killarney
Killorglin

Has anyone any knowledge of living in or running/owning a business inany of these towns?

Do any of these towns have well-known problems with businesses having problems with local criminals. Or does anyone have any knowledge about general crime rates in any of the above towns?

Or does anyone have any general comments about living in any of these towns? Any good points or bad points which I should know about?

Any comments or advice is appreciated, or send an email to me at

claire2003@clontarf.net

See ya!

Claire

Blitzkrieger

Originally posted by claire2003

_CO. CORK_
Mallow

Unless you're an employment agency......

sceptre

I'm glad someone else said it first. Mallow is a waste of time for most businesses. It's become something of a commuter town for Cork so unless you're opening a pub you'll get far less trade than you might assume from the town's population. It might seem like a better bet than Fermoy but Fermoy has a far better developed town centre. Mallow does have one thing going for it - it's one of the few southern towns that have DSL available already.

sceptre thinks the place is a hole as well. Buildings on the main street have a habit of collapsing (roofs specifically). I wouldn't live there if you paid me a fat wad of cash up front and sent a willing nubile young virgin to me every night. I lived there till I was 18 - it's ten years ago but to be honest there now seem to be far more scumbags on the Mallow streets compared with even Limerick or Cork. Since a slightly harder line was taken by the Cork city coppers on drug dealing, I'm informed that many of these wholesome chaps sought out Mallow as a new base. Like the pubs, it's a growth industry for a commuter town. The town council seems to have a majority of genuine incompetents (compared with the "just lazy" incompetents that so often run for these positions) at the moment and any local will quite happily tell you that the standard has dropped significantly in the local boys secondary school in the past five years or so - significantly enough that people are noticing enough that pupil numbers are dropping rather quickly for a growing town (even considering the birthrate drop in the early 1990s)

With regard to Kerry, obviously it depends on what type of business you'd be thinking of opening (obviously you want to keep quite about that, which is fair enough). Killorglin and Castleisland aren't all that big to be honest, as you probably already know. Grand places to open a pharmacy, not good for building a leisure centre. Your named Kerry towns are pretty fine wrt crime rates etc.

I suppose Bandon and Clonakilty (reasonably sized growing towns) aren't on your list of possibles?

Samson

Originally posted by claire2003
I would like to establish a business, and I have been looking at the following towns as possible suitable locations...

Well, it all depends on the type of business, as the lads say a pub might be a suitable business for the likes of Mallow, but a cuckoo clock shop might not be.

What sort of business are you thinking establishing?
Are you going into this blind, or are you coming from an experienced background?

pro_gnostic_8

Why not travel the extra 20 odd miles and try Cork city itself to make a business start-up? Therein you have a concentrated population/market for most types of retail/service businesses (if you can be competitive or unique enough)

Like the lads above, I too, would be inclined to give Mallow a thumbs down. With respect to Fermoy, I get the impression passing thru' it that it's a town in decline............. Faber is gone, 5 or 6 months ago another large employer went belly-up also (cannot at the mo' remember the name).

Then again, if you're considering opening a Lap-Dancing club you can't go wrong in even the smallest village in Co Cork.

claire2003

Hi Guys,

Thanks Blitzkrieger, Sceptre, Samson & pro_gnostic_8 for all the above info.

Well, I'm hoping to start a business selling anique furniture and antique home furnishings. Target market would be mostly women. The business would not neccessarily have to be located in town centre, as customers would often tend to specifically travel to the business location to purchase, as goods would be unique items (as they are antique). Customers would not generally not be impulse "walk in off the street" purchasers.

Customers would generally have an above average income.

So, if Mallow has a high unemployment rate, then perhaps it might not be a great location for this type of business.

Sceptre mentioned persons described as "scumbags". I'm guessing you mean the baseball hat/track suit/gold chains brigade. Well if there is a high level of these persons in Mallow, then this again would *not* be an encouragement to settle in Mallow. You mentioned some drug dealers may have sought out Mallow as a new base; this again is a major turn-off.

I'm looking for a town which has a low percentage of "scumbags", drug-dealers, and any major criminals.

So, I suppose out of Mallow & Fermoy...... Fermoy might possibly be the choice between these two.

I suppose I was thinking of Mallow & Fermoy as they are fairly centrally located to (each other obviously) and to Cork City, Midleton, Youghal, Michelstown, Tipperary Town, and not really that far from Limerick City.

I had thought about the Kerry towns of Listowel, Tralee, Castleisland, Killarney & Killorglin as they are all fairly easily accessible to each other, and to Limerick City.

I suppose I hadn't really thought about Clonakilty as it seems to be quite remote from other towns. Bandon is a possibility, hadn't really thought about it.

Also, does anyone know anything about Ballincollig, just west of Cork City? Any advice/comments about Ballincollig?

Then I suppose if I wanted to go further north, there's always Tipperary town & Clonmel.

pro_gnostic_8, you mentioned Cork City. Well I suppose I had thought about it, but I suppose I would rather live/work in a town rather than a city. Though I have checked official Garda crime rate stats, and I know Cork seems to have much lower crime rates than Dublin or Limerick cities.

Have you's all been to Galway City, it really laid-back, relaxed, informal....... are any of towns we've been talking about or which I have mentioned like Galway City.......in the sense of being laid-back, chilled places?

Oh btw, sorry but at the moment I can't help with providing any nubile virgins Sceptre! Maybe in the future....

Claire

sceptre

Originally posted by claire2003
Sceptre mentioned persons described as "scumbags". I'm guessing you mean the baseball hat/track suit/gold chains brigade.

Actually no - I meant the genuine scumbags who will break windows and kick your children. Limerick has a high rate of the goldie chained tracksuit brigades - I fear Mallow has a high (per capita) rate of the real dodgy characters. Unemployment rate in Mallow isn't too bad to be honest - commuter town and all that.

I can see where you're coming from now you mention the type of business you're thinking of opening - being accessible to people travelling to your shop is pretty important. The more west you go in Cork the closer it gets to a Galway state of mind.

Blitzkrieger

Pretty much anywhere you go is going to have the same problems. I’ve heard Ballincollig has a drugs problem too. It’s a common thing where youths have no much time on there hands turn to drugs and petty crime. There was an armed robbery a few months ago but no1 was hurt. My brother lives there and doesn’t report much out of the way.

I don’t know much (read : anything) about the antiques business, but if pressed would recommend Douglas, just outside Cork city centre. They’re trying to build up Douglas village as an ‘upscale’ place, and to be honest, it seems to be working. There’s a new shopping district there that seems very pricey, and the property values are rocketing.

claire2003

thanks Blitzkrieger

I suppose more or less anywhere is (unfortunately) going to have some degree of drugs problem.

As long as we're not talking about the level of drug use which used to/(maybe still does) effect parts of Glasgow (and some parts of Dublin).

I suppose I'm really looking for is a town where I'm fairly confident there are not going to be the organised type gangsters which effect some parts of Dublin.

It's not nice trying to run a small business, if there are organised crims in the area!

If I was looking for a laid-back Galway-Vibe town, I suppose I would be better going over to Kerry rather than up to Co. Tipperary?

Anyone have any comments about this?

btw, I'll check out Douglas, Blitzkrieger, hadn't heard of it before.

Thanks again everyone!

mooman_00

Douglas is definetly a place that you should look into, definetly better than any other suggestions so far....and i wouldn't chance ballincollig at all...

claire2003

thanks mooman_00

Is Douglas an area in Cork City? ......haven't heard of it.

What do you think of the towns in Kerry?

Listowel, Tralee, Castleisland, Killarney ........ they're all nice laid-back places, aren't they? What do you think about these places?

Thanks for the advice

dahamsta

Is Douglas an area in Cork City?

It's a suburb in the southside, half in the city and half in the county. Douglas is very popular these days, and quite trendy, so I imagine rent would be quite expensive.

adam

mooman_00

Listowel is a bit dead, Tralee a bit knackerish, castleisland ?, killarney very popular so maybe a lot of competition or perhaps expensive to get started. Tralee and killarney are your best bets for kerry, but i think you should look into Douglas its a good old place at the mo...

claire2003

thanks again.

Hadn't heard of Douglas, so I'll check it out.

''Tralee a bit knackerish'', not entirely sure what a bit knackerish means.

When I was in Tralee, there are street security camera there now. Times have changed when there's street security cameras in Tralee.

mooman_00

The need for street security cameras explains 'Tralee a bit knackerish'(a little dodgy) but at least you might feel a bit safer knowing that there are cameras watchin over you. Try and stay away from north cork and kerry as in my opinion they are a bit lifeless, but if your clients are going to travel anyway due to the nature of your business there are plenty of places to look at(as you all ready know im sure)....i suggest possibly creating a list of exactly what you would like in the place you wish to set up and compare all the towns/cities you've mentioned to this list....either that or get a hat, some paper and a pen and let luck decide.

dahamsta

not entirely sure what a bit knackerish means

It means mooman_00 lives there*.

adam

*Humour

mooman_00

lol............i wish, we've only got them imitation knackers out where i live, they wreck my head....what i wouldn't give for a nice caravan somewhere where i could settle down with my sister and have a family surrounded by my inbred relations

Raskolnikov

Originally posted by claire2003
thanks mooman_00

Is Douglas an area in Cork City? ......haven't heard of it.

What do you think of the towns in Kerry?

Listowel, Tralee, Castleisland, Killarney ........ they're all nice laid-back places, aren't they? What do you think about these places?

Thanks for the advice

The problem with moving to Kerry is that you'll be relying on farmers with EU grant cheques to buy stuff and I can't see that happening.

Douglas on the other hand is right next to Cork city ( just to the south of the city ) and gets tons of traffic.

dahamsta

what i wouldn't give for a nice caravan somewhere where i could settle down with my sister and have a family surrounded by my inbred relations

Wanna buy a banjo?

adam

mooman_00

lol, anyway best of luck claire!

flyz

Originally posted by claire2003

I suppose I was thinking of Mallow & Fermoy as they are fairly centrally located to (each other obviously) and to Cork City, Midleton, Youghal, Michelstown, Tipperary Town, and not really that far from Limerick City.

Why not Midleton? I've never spent much time there myself but it's easily accessiblie from a lot of places and it's only 10(ish) miles from cork city.
there are a few more places out that general direction too, e.g. Carraigtoohill

Glanmire is another location too that is a possibility, it's only 5 miles outside of cork city at the most.

It depends on what size of location you want to move to also.
Are you talking about a town sized place or slightly smaller?

I suppose I hadn't really thought about Clonakilty as it seems to be quite remote from other towns. Bandon is a possibility, hadn't really thought about it.

Clonakilty is remote if you're looking to Limerick or Tipp. Not from Cork or Kerry though. It is easily accessible from there.
Plus it's one of the most laid back places in Cork that I know of.

Bandon would be a good choice. I don't know what it's like for living in, but for business wise it would be good location.

Blitzkrieger

Originally posted by flyz
Why not Midleton?

It's still very much a 'farming town'. It's prosperous enough, but a lot of the people who go shopping there are from the surronding area (read : back of beyond), and probably wouldn't be interested in antiques.

Originally posted by flyz

there are a few more places out that general direction too, e.g. Carraigtoohill

She's trying to stay away from areas with high crime! It's a possibility. Greenwood at Cobh Cross is famous (a friend's parents, who live the other side of Mallow always go shopping there) around Cork, and the land would probably be cheap enough (you could probably buy Youghal Carpets accross the road for a fiver), but I'd still recommend Douglas ahead of it.
..........And it's 'two' not 'too'. It only says 'too' on the signs cos the EU said so. Next thing they'll be telling us choclate isn't choclate....

Originally posted by flyz

Glanmire is another location too that is a possibility, it's only 5 miles outside of cork city at the most.

Too small. Even Grandons of Glanmire wouldn't fit in Glanmire They're miles outside it.

claire2003

Thanks again Guys!

I'll check out Midleton, even though it's a farming community (I'm guessing therefore it has a low crime rate) as it is close to Cork.

I'll check out Bandon, Clonakilty, Skib and Douglas (though I'm guessing Douglas is going to expensive). Anywhere which is a cool place that close to a city, usually is.

Can anyone comment again on Tralee?

When I was there checking the place out it did seem Ok. I noticed cameras there. Does Tralee have a bad image? I always thought as Tralee as being fairly quiet; a bit like a slightly less famous version of Killarney.

When we're talking about it being a bit "knackerish", do we mean that it can be a bit dodgy if you were walkin in the centre of town at 2.00 am on Friday or Saturday night?

Or are we talking about things going on even during the day? I suppose it had problems a few yeard ago, with vigilantism. But nothing has happened since then; - that I know of anyhow.