Flooding aftermath sees trade among Midleton retailers fall by up to 50%
18th October 2023; Flooding on Main street Midleton . Picture; Eddie O'Hare
Retailers in Midleton have called on Cork shoppers to support the community's traders this Christmas following the widespread flooding that caused devastation across the local economy.
Owner of L’Atelier Stylist & Boutique in Midleton's Coach Horse Square, Ann O Driscoll is one of many retailers who escaped the recent flooding but has since seen a sharp decline in business over the last month.
According to the boutique owner, takings had dropped by 50% compared to the same period last year, with Ms O Driscoll attributing the slump to a lack of footfall.
Purchasing the retail unit just before the pandemic in 2020, Ms O Driscoll said it was February 2022 before she was able to open for the first time, adding that her business had been "thriving," until the October flooding.
"We were very fortunate in the Square that the water didn’t reach us, but we are still feeling the impact of it because of lack of footfall," said Ms O Driscoll.
"We are situated just off the High Street, and we want shoppers to know that we are open for business.”
Other traders on the Square such as The Granary Café, Susan Herlihy Ceramics, JC Barbers, Tree of Life Yoga & Wellbeing and Scarlett Boutique are open also for business, she said.
The community of business traders had recently invested in a mural on Coach Horse Lane, leading from Midleton Main Street to Coach Horse Square. Painted by artist, Serge Le Belge, the mural highlights the history of the area which was built on the Old Murane Forge.
"I look to the future with the hope that I can get through this latest challenge with the support of local customers and that new customers will make a trip to Midleton and discover what businesses on the Square have to offer,” Ms O Driscoll concluded.
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