Many businesses ‘are just hanging in there’

With a rate of €55.88 Mallow Town Council put out its stall as the cheapest place to set up business in Co Cork — and it has paid dividends even during the recession.

Mary Kelly knows a good bet when she sees one and the low rates attract the business punters.

Apart from being in charge of Cork Racecourse, she is also president of the town’s chamber of commerce, and attributes the low rates as “a contributory factor” in household names like Boots and Easons locating in Mallow in the past two years.