WILL one of Cork city’s longest established suburban bars have a rendezvous tryst with development fates?

A LONG-established, family-run pub between two of Cork city’s suburban sporting heartlands, rugby at Musgrave Park and soccer at Turner’s Cross stadium, has another claim to fame – it is the closest licensed premises to the grave of Fr Theobald Mathew, the Apostle of Temperance.

THE purchaser of a 4.6 acre house development site next to Hilton on the Model Farm Road in Cork city’s suburbs has been confirmed as up-and-coming Munster builder Donal Relihan, of DNR Homes.

Cities around the country are screaming out for housing stock. The knock-on effect is skyrocketing prices, leading to claims that it will soon be beyond the average family to afford to live in any of our cities. In fact this could well already be the case in some sectors.

AFTER an entrepreneurial career spanning 66 years, businessman Michael Bowes has decided to retire from his current employment, heading up the Fernhill Hotel, on the edge of Carrigaline and 100 metres from where the new N28 road to Ringaskiddy is set to run.

A VALUE of over €1 million per acre has been put on what is surely one of the best located suburban Cork sites to come to market in a decade, in Bishopstown, close to the CUH, third level colleges and the city’s ring road.

There’s a rising tide of investment and development going in around Cork harbour, and hoping to capitalise on that are the vendors of a site called Belmont Huts, back for sale with a fresh grant of planning, and at multiples of its previous sale price just over two years ago.

Three development sites worth up to €30m have been put for sale in Cork City and suburbs.

Munster crossroads town Mallow is on the road back to recovery, on the evidence of recent sales and deals, with a re-launched Mallow Development Partnership and the Mallow Chamber of Commerce noting ‘light at the end of the tunnel’.

A Cork harbour site which once sold for €25m to Howard Holdings comes to market in the same week as the city’s Howard Holdings-developed Clarion Hotel sells for €35m.

TWO key moves this week may put Cork city on the investor and retail radar, as the city centre inches back from the slack years of recession.

DEVELOPER John Cleary hasemerged as the preferred bidder for Cork city centre’s prime Capitol cinema site on Grand Parade, and aims to build a mix of big-box retail units, aimed at the likes of Zara and Forever 21, and fourth generation offices on the site which links back to Patrick’s Street. 

Even if it was not about the rise and fall of former taoiseach Charles Haughey, RTÉ’s three-part drama would still have great entertainment value.

Up to five parties made bids on Cork city’s Capitol Cinema site with a decision on its disposal now resting with Nama.

Actor Aidan Gillen has said he tried not to pass judgement on Charles Haughey when playing the controversial taoiseach in RTÉ’s upcoming mini-series, Charlie.

Billed as Cork City’s "last great retail site of note", a plot of more than half an acre on St Patrick’s St and Grand Parade — including the Capitol Cinema site and Central Shoe Stores — goes for sale next week.

Face of change in Cork City

A recovery in trade in one of Cork’s city centre’s under-performing streets — Academy Street — is heralded with the opening this weekend of a new restaurant, CoqBull, which replaces hospitality supremo Jay Bourke’s long-established Cafe Bar Deli.

A turnaround in the fortunes and occupancy levels of Cork city’s premier retail boulevard Patrick Street is predicted in the next year, with significant national international brand names set to arrive and take significant floor space.

Farmer interest in the short term, with a view to longer-term development potential, is early to the fore in the sale of 45 acres of zoned land on the edge of Midleton, East Cork.

And... breathe. The finale of Love/Hate was expected to become the most watched TV show of the year, and for all those tuning in, it didn’t disappoint.

FUNDS from the sale of a strip of high-profile land at Cork city’s Turners Cross/Kinsale road are to be used to fund pitch improvements and capacity expansion for RABO Direct Pro 12 games in Cork City

THE former Nemo Rangers site, easily developed and in a cracking inner-suburban setting in Cork City, was expensively acquired by the Fleming Group, and is now for sale for its receivers.

A €1M fit-out wraps up this weekend as the covers come off Munster’s largest retail letting — UK giant DFS opens its second Irish store, in the office and retail City Gate Park, Mahon, Cork, this Saturday.

The Thai-Chinese billionaire who is buying the 500-acre Fota Resort for more than €20m is likely to make further Irish investments — and spend heavily on Fota, guaranteeing its future and jobs.

An entire shopping centre investment, with 16 vacant shop units, 450-space multi-storey car park, and six office units is for sale in market town Charleville via Savills — for €950,000.

A PRIME, good-sized store on Cork City’s Patrick Street has come up to let via Savills, at a market-savvy rent, after being vacated during the summer by Mothercare.

A SERIES of deals and employment is expected to flow at the €70 million City Gate Park, built over the past 18 months in the face of international recession, and where Taoiseach Enda Kenny tomorrow officially opens the 75,000 sq ft stand-alone building bought by Dell/Quest.

It appears that a deal has been done in regard to land at St Joseph’s Road, Mallow — where 180 acres has been bought back by two farmers who sold the land to farmer-turned-developer, John Barry, in the first place.

O’Callaghan Properties are looking for up to €25m for the 180-bed River Lee hotel they built in 2006 on the old Jurys Hotel site in Cork city.

A 181-bed hotel which replaced the iconic Jurys Hotel in Cork City has been put up for sale for about €24m as an investment.

A MUSICAL chairs set of changes among Cork city’s motor dealers is continuing — with a temporary new base for Toyota found in Wilton, while a longer-term site is being sought.

Tommy Barker suggests you lodge an interest in former purpose-built 10-bed Kinsale B&B.

CONSUMERS will feel the pinch after tomorrow’s budget with hikes expected on the “old reliables” and the removal of certain tax reliefs.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has predicted Tipperary is set for a “major jobs boost” after an 11,000 square metre shopping centre was opened in the county, potentially creating 500 new positions.

INTERNATIONAL pharmacy chain Boots is to make a giant, acre-sized footprint in Cork city centre, and promises 50 new jobs as a result.