Well-known Cork publican buys The Wilton bar as €1m revamp to transform landmark
The Wilton has been puchased by publican Paul Montgomery. Picture: Larry Cummins
Cork publican Paul Montgomery has bought the renowned suburban bar and restaurant The Wilton, with a €1m refurbishment set to begin next week.
The 10,000sq ft venue, located opposite Cork University Hospital and beside Wilton Shopping Centre, was built 36 years ago by the Peters family. The sale will complete on Monday, January 12.
The bar will cease trading under current owner Colum Peters this weekend, with new ownership taking over on Monday. The off-market deal is valued in the multimillion-euro range, though the final figure has not been disclosed.
The two-storey complex will immediately undergo a major renovation and reopen as a pub, restaurant and live music venue in time for St Patrick’s weekend in March, Mr Montgomery said. Staffing is expected to double to 100 following the reopening.
“It all happened quite quickly. I’ve been interested in The Wilton for some years. I contacted Colum this year and I was really pleased when we spoke. We agreed a deal very swiftly,” said Mr Montgomery.
“The Peters family developed it 36 years ago, and now we are the next custodians. We will enhance it and we will take care of the staff.”
Mr Montgomery promised “spectacular changes”, including expanded live music offerings, while retaining a strong food focus and its role as a local bar.
“We will keep the name but, in many ways, The ‘new’ Wilton will change," he said.
"We will have a big focus on night-time entertainment, with live music, DJs, and Irish music. We do a lot of that with JJs and Clancys, and now we are going to bring a bit of that to the suburbs.
"Sport and music were my first loves and we have always had a strong emphasis on sports, and The Wilton will be a venue to watch matches. We will bring the balcony more into the bar. We will continue to have an old world drinking bar, but we are also going to become a destination venue.
“The building itself has a lot of character and is unique. It is stunning and we can only add to that.”
Mr Montgomery owns Clancys on Princes Street, JJ Walsh’s Irish bar on Oliver Plunkett Street, the Latin-themed cocktail bar Mamacitas on Marlboro Street, and Wilde, an LGBT+ club on Oliver Plunkett Street. The Clancys Group employs 170 full- and part-time staff, and The Wilton now joins the group.
Clancys Group operations director Shane Spillane and director of sales and marketing Dave Daly will play key roles in the €1m refurbishment. New ‘Saints and Sinners’ menu options, due to launch in Clancys later this month, will also be introduced at The Wilton, offering lighter meals or more indulgent options.
“I think people like that option of the price point around €16 where you have the option to have a meal in 40 minutes,” said Mr Montgomery. “These days, people expect and demand value and we will look at that through the year."
A member of nearby Bishopstown GAA club who lives on Western Road, Mr Montgomery said he recognised the venue’s potential. The venue was reportedly the subject of a €10m bid during the Celtic Tiger years.
“I think this is a real opportunity for the area. In some ways Bishopstown doesn’t have a centre but this is one venue that has huge advantages. It is across the road from the hospital with 5,500 staff; it is beside the shopping centre, and the church. It stands out.”
December proved especially significant for Mr Montgomery, who purchased The Wilton with his wife, Clíonadh (née Octigan). On the day the sale was agreed — Tuesday, December 16 — Clíonadh gave birth to their daughter, Hanóra May Montgomery. The couple married in September 2023.
Mr Montgomery has two sons from his first marriage. He developed the Reardens complex in the late 1990s alongside his first wife. Originally from Co Clare, his first Cork pub venture was the Western Star more than 30 years ago.
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