Can you have a ‘soft opening’ of a bar, restaurant, and hotel business on a crazy Cork weekend of an All Ireland final?
As she prepares to open her business venture The Village in Cork’s suburban Douglas, Gillian McCarthy sweetly says she and her hospitality business partner Patrick Dillon hope so.
It prompts the question as to what, exactly, would constitute a hard ‘hitting the ground’ running opening, as Cork flags (and possibly the odd Tipp one: the landlord is a Tipperary investor) may adorn the new-look suburban venture, on the site of the historic old Pipers’ fairground in upmarket Douglas? Soft it is not going to be…
The business pairing have taken over a previously trading hospitality premises, East Village on a 30-year lease, dropping ‘East’ from the rebrand to now trade as The Village Rooms Bar and Kitchen in the 20-year-old mixed-use development.
Builders Kumry Construction finished up refurbishment works in the last few days and it’s now final fit-out time for the bar and restaurant, each seating up to 120 patrons on the ground (bar) and first floor (restaurant) as well as outdoor and first floor terrace seating.
The new opening is the most significant development at the overall East Douglas Village complex, created around a new street which include other restaurants and 16 apartments in red brick and cut limestone blocks, since it was acquired by Tipperary-based private investor in 2021 for €11m.
Two other recent lettings, to Midleton-based Hs2 hair salon and to Regina Nails (also on Patrick Street in the city centre) bring the overall East Douglas Village complex to near-full occupancy, says letting agent Margaret Kelleher of Cohalan Downing who sold the East Douglas Village development in five blocks in ’21, with a then rent roll of €760,000.
At The Village, the primary focus this All Ireland weekend will be on the bar trade, with a midday Saturday opening planned.
Taking over the kitchen and restaurant will be well-known Cork chef Brendan Cashman (Augustines, Ox Kinsale’s opening set-up, etc), says Gillian McCarthy, who has a strong background in management and HR, with family connections to the hotel trade, as does business partner Kerry-based Patrick Dillon. She says their new venture “which has been a long time coming, it’s a dream,” will employ up to 20.
The previous business in other operator hands ceased by January when The Village closed for a full overhaul, with interior design work done by architects Healy Butler Moffatt: the impact of the changes might be better seen in a week or so once red and white Cork flags go.
- A deal is well advanced on the former Bull McCabe’s bar and eatery on the Kinsale Road which went to market in 2023 guiding €650,000 via Rob Coughlan of Cohalan Downing: it’s understood it will be adapted for other non-licensed purposes.
- Also understood to be well advanced in sale terms is The Flying Enterprise complex on four city centre streets, fronting Sullivans Quay, which went to market in February 2025 with a €5.3m AMV, built up to a mixed use development with additional strong rental income by owners for 45 years the O’Shea family.
- Gone to market this week, meanwhile, is the historic Cork city centre premises An Spailpín Fanach on South Main Street, with two bars and overhead apartments facing the redeveloping Brewery Quarter. It is guided at excess €1.5m by Glenn O’Connor of DNG Creedon Finn O’Connor.
