Shops hamstrung for holiday rush

ONCE the centre of the Irish bacon industry, Limerick is still synonymous with hams enjoyed the world over.

The city boasts many pork and bacon shops that have been run by generations of the same families.

O’Connells in Little Catherine Street was looking forward to a great Christmas and had prepared more than 700 hams for customers.

The disaster, which has hit the entire industry, has also hit the traditional shop such as O’Connells.

Paul Craughan, who took over the business from his father, who acquired it from the late Paddy O’Connell, said all their hams have been taken out of the food chain.

Mr Craughan said: “We do a great trade in cured and smoked hams for Christmas, with people coming from a wide area to avail of our famous hams. Two weeks ago we won a gold award from the Craft Butchers of Ireland and what has happened could not have come at a worse time.”

O’Connells, who have been trading since the 1920s, buy entire pig carcasses, which they butcher and from which they also make their own famous sausages and puddings.

Since the news broke, he said customers have been phoning to find out if they will have an O’Connell ham for Christmas. Mr Craughan said: “Some customers had already collected their hams, so we will reimburse them.”

He said if slaughtering can resume in the coming days, they will be able to put pork products back into their shop within 48 hours and resume sausage-making.

However, making up the loss of up to 700 hams may prove too tall an order, he said.

Mr Craughan said: “I think smoked hams will be extremely scarce this Christmas. Having won the Craft Butchers gold award it was fantastic, and then this thing appears on the horizon. It is devastating, but we will pick ourselves up and move on.”