Subscriber

What A Difference A Day Makes: Ernest Cantillon on opening Electric at 27 — and why closing it broke his heart

After 13 years running Electric on the South Mall, its owner shares the personal journey behind its rise, closure, and what came next.
What A Difference A Day Makes: Ernest Cantillon on opening Electric at 27 — and why closing it broke his heart

Ernest Cantillon at the Lough, Cork. Picture Dan Linehan

Electric on the South Mall, an art deco building, built in the 1930s by the O’Shea brothers who came back from Chicago after the 1929 crash. I bought it in 2009, and O’Shea Brothers renovated it for me. It had a lot of history – for me, an emotive place.

I opened it as a bar and restaurant in 2010, I was 27, my biggest undertaking before or since. Quite quickly, it became a big business. We were open all hours – at its busiest, we had 60 employees.

This is exclusive subscriber content. Already a subscriber? Sign in

Unlimited access. Half the price.

Annual €120€60

Best value

Monthly €10€5 / month

Benefits image

More in this section

Lifestyle

Newsletter

The best food, health, entertainment and lifestyle content from the Irish Examiner, direct to your inbox.

Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited