It cost €10m, has everything you want and is Cork’s biggest, bar none

CORK’S biggest bar opened last night creating 90 jobs and signalling the start of the rejuvenation of the city’s Grand Parade.

SoHo is a €10 million 16,000 sq ft multi-floor bar and restaurant on the site of the old Doyle’s Bar.

The glass-fronted building was designed by award-winning architect Frank O’Mahony of Wilson Architects and is co-owned by three Corkmen, Derry O’Regan of the East Village in Douglas, former Cork GAA Allstar Sean McCarthy, and Boston-based pub owner Jon Cronin.

With room for 800 punters over its four floors, they claim it is the biggest pub in the city.

There are four bars, one of which is 65 foot-long, two restaurants, smoking decks and outside tables.

“We wanted to bring some excitement and fun back into the city centre,” said manager Sean McCarthy.

“SoHo is a venue where everything you want is under the one roof, whether it’s a night out on the town, a meal with friends or an afternoon watching the match.

“We have the most modern technology with 18 plasma screens, a retractable stage, restaurants that can seat 130 people and glass viewing areas.”

The venue also has a private cocktail and champagne bar.

Up to 200 construction workers worked on the project over the past 18 months.

It is the 11th bar venture for Boston-based Jon Cronin.

He has nine bars in two American states including three SoHos — Boston, Brighton and Pittsburgh — where some of the ideas for the Cork bar were born.

“Our success in the States has been immensely satisfying but to open a project of this scale in your home city is even more so,” he said.