Tourists don’t buy fish, laments Cork market trader who made Queen laugh

The fishmonger who starred in the most talked about photograph of Queen Elizabeth II’s State visit here in 2011 yesterday lamented "tourists don’t buy fish".

Pat O’Connell was commenting on accounts recently filed by family-business Kay O’Connell Ltd to the Companies Office that show that the business recorded pre-tax losses of €85,786 in the 12 months to the end of June 2013, and this followed pre-tax losses of €75,470 in 2012.

Based in Cork city’s English Market, the business has been selling fresh fish since 1962 and Mr O’Connell said that the losses arose from exceptional costs and investment in the business, pointing out that revenues remained steady at €2m per annum over the two years.