Going the distance: John Buckley Sports bets on the city with €285,000 new home
Conor Kavanagh underneath a wall of fame at John Buckley Sports.
There's a term in athletics called 'track-savvy'. It's where runners use a bit of tactical know-how to make a winning move at the right time.
The renowned Cork store John Buckley Sports has made its move, opening a new premises on Camden Wharf on Christy Ring Bridge.
Now operating for 45 years, the John Buckley name continues to keep pace in a crowded Cork sports retail space, with annual turnover of over €1.5m testament to its enduring popularity.
The new store previously operated as a Gala store. "We made this move to Christy Ring Bridge to be more visible and to be able to design a fresh, modern look for our store to become a running and walking hub. Of course it's great to associate our sporting legacy with that of the great man himself, Christy Ring," says John Buckley Sports director Conor Kavanagh.
"You could put our shop in the middle of Cathedral Road outside the city and they're probably going to find us. But across from Christy Bridge makes it easier."
Up on the wall of the new store are running shoes and spikes from the likes of Eamon Coughlan, Robert Heffernan, Sonia O'Sullivan, and Derval O'Rourke. Perhaps the spikes of John Buckley Sports founder John Buckley himself should be up there too. A member of St Finbarr's AC, John was an international athlete who noticed how decent racing footwear was hard to find. From there, he opened the first John Buckley Sports in the upstairs of a house on a corner of Strawberry Hill and Blarney Street in 1981.
The business grew over time, moving to Mulgrave Road, closer to the river. John himself retired – though he still keeps an active interest - and the baton of ownership passed to his brother in law Conor Kavanagh, who has been working in the business since 1986.
In 2025, John Buckley Sports bought the new premises on Christy Ring Bridge for €285,000. Renovation was self-financed - “people said you’d build the Taj Mahal faster”, quips Conor – and the new store has been welcoming customers this month.
"A lot of retailers are exiting the city, going to outlet centres and commercial retail parks. But we always believe the city will endure. It's been there for 800 years, I don't think it's going to suddenly sink," says Conor.
When it comes to sports retail, Cork has its own crowded field, with impressive rivals in the market, both national and international, continuing to build a presence. Earlier this month, Decathlon opened its first Cork store at Douglas Shopping Centre. Intersport Elverys will be the flagship store when the former Debenhams/Roches Stores building reopens.
In such a competitive market, it could easy for John Buckley Sports to be swallowed up. Instead, it has thrived. "On average, we would sell between 800 and 1,000 pairs of shoes. Some months that could be closer to 1,200 pairs," said Conor.
"Footfall isn't a huge problem because we're a go-to destination. The footfall we get is from recommendations.
"The JD Sports and the Sports Directs and Decathlons will get the masses and that's fine, that's why they're big stores and they have 50,000 people coming through but most of them are passing through. We might have a thousand but hopefully half of them are buyers.
"People come here know that we are all about finding the right shoe for them. Foot types don't change really. If you have a good cushion shoe to go under a support shoe, then that's what sells."
In the five decades since opening, there have been shifts, though. Shoe fitting and finding the right shoe remains the key goal. Innovations like gait analysis and carbon plated soles help get there. Walking is now about 50% of the business.
Personal fitness is now Ireland's biggest sport. The high-level competition athletes who were the pioneer customers are now joined by the social runners – the 5km and 10km runners, and the weekend social runners.
Know-how remains a big part of the John Buckley attraction to runners of all levels in Cork. The staff includes Mark Hanrahan, a four-minute miler. "Our best tool is the staff, and they buy into it," said Conor. "It's handy to have times especially dealing with the runners. It makes them kind of confident."
Retail itself is more of a marathon than a sprint, and John Buckley Sports are continuing to raise their game. They continue to lease the premises on Mulgrave Road. While the new store on Christy Ring Bridge is mainly focused on running and walking, the plan is to reopen the Mulgrave Road premises as a destination for hill walking, rugby and football boot fitting, and for children's shoes.
For now, though, the focus is on the new store. Christmas is quickly coming down the track. Next year will be a special one, with the new premises putting the store on the direct route of the Cork marathon for the first time.
"They're going to pass the store twice on the route, so we'll have banners and speakers. We didn't have that direct route before in our old store. We were just 10 yards the wrong way."
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