Bantry warehouse to close as construction begins on new West Cork music venue

GW Biggs will continue to serve customers in West Cork through M&P O'Sullivan's established delivery service

Eoin and Patrick O’Sullivan, directors of M&P O’Sullivan, at the GW Biggs yard in Bantry. The GW Biggs warehouse will close as construction begins on the new West Cork Music centre. GW Biggs will continue to serve customers through M&P O'Sullivan. Picture: Miki Barlok

The GW Biggs warehouse in Bantry will close next month as construction plans begin on the new West Cork music and education venue planned for the town. 

GW Biggs will continue to operate its established delivery service, with orders fulfilled directly from M&P O’Sullivan’s Cork operation. M&P O’Sullivan acquired Biggs Catering Company in 2025, bringing the longstanding West Cork business into the Cork-based foodservice company. 

Planning for the new West Cork Music venue was given the green light last month.

"We are delighted to see planning permission approved for the site. This will be a huge boost to Bantry and all of West Cork. We want to be very clear that the closure of the warehouse does not mean GW Biggs is leaving Bantry or West Cork. GW Biggs will continue to serve its customers across Bantry and the wider West Cork area through our established delivery service," said M&P O’Sullivan directors Eoin and Patrick O’Sullivan. “We would like to thank all of our customers who have continued to support a local Cork company and the GW Biggs team.”

The planning approval for the new venue will see the demolition of the former GW Biggs & Co retail warehouse on Bridge St and Market Lane in the town. But M&P O'Sullivan said there will be no interruption to deliveries, with GW Biggs continuing to serve customers throughout Bantry and the wider West Cork region.

M&P O’Sullivan said they are engaging directly with employees affected by the warehouse closure and exploring opportunities for them within the wider M&P O’Sullivan business.

The new multipurpose venue and education centre in Bantry will become the new home of West Cork Music, which hosts a renowned series of festivals in Bantry every year: the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, West Cork Literary Festival, and the Masters of Tradition Festival. The festivals started with the first chamber music festival in 1995, and the trio are now worth more than €7.6m annually to the local economy. 

The new multi-functional venue will be constructed by 2030, subject to funding, and give the festivals a permanent home. The 1,970 sq m development, designed by McCullough Mulvin Architects, will feature a 271-seat auditorium, dedicated education and rehearsal spaces, cafe, and a public plaza. West Cork Music venue development manager, Siobhán Burke, said the new centre will serve as “an engine for the arts and creativity in West Cork”.

M&P O'Sullivan, which has its headquarters on Sarsfield Road in Cork City, operates across the foodservice and convenience retail sectors, employing 180 people and serving 3,000 customers. It operates a fleet of more than 28 vehicles, delivering nationwide, and supplies more than 15,000 product lines. The company has seen its sales rise from €22m in 2017 to over €47m in 2025.

M&P O’Sullivan is also a shareholder in Gala Retail Services, which oversees a network of more than 140 Gala stores, and 60 Your Stop locations across Ireland. M&P O’Sullivan’s current holdings include the Irish Homestead, White Hat, Red Abbey and Brennan’s Caterworld ranges. 

Biggs Catering Company is a longstanding West Cork business.