Iconic Cork newsagents to close after 46 years in business

Porter newsagents on Patrick Street has been in business for 46 years; it closed its doors to the public on Saturday, October 22. Picture: Larry Cummins 

A newsagents on Patrick Street in Cork city was inundated with well-wishers today as shoppers dropped in to Porter as it shut its doors for the last time after being in operation for more than four decades.

Store manager Christine Kelleher, who is from Dublin Hill in Cork city, joined the newly opened newsagents 46 years ago last April under then manager Mairead O'Callaghan.

Mairead had been poached to run the store having been in management in nearby Woolworth's whereas Christine was previously employed by Eason.

Christine said once she went in the door of Porter she knew she had found her retail home. She has experienced many happy times there over the years.

"Porter has been a landmark here. I had a customer come in this week and she said when she was a child between seven and eight she would come in with her mum and her grandmother. She is 55 now.

"I am here 46 years since last April. You would forget how long you have been serving people. 

"We have always had our regulars. Sometimes when they had bad news they would come in telling us. It was that personal."

"Elderly people would come in with their grandchildren and their grandchildren are adults now. I had another customer who called in to say that he remembered buying 'Roy of the Rovers' here. Lots of good times.

Christine says she has been touched by the outpouring of well wishes from the Cork public over the last few days.

"People have been so kind. Even this morning I have gotten so many phone calls. One particular lady said she was very ill. And she sounded very ill but she just wanted to thank us. 

"Whether it's a Cork thing or an Irish thing I don't know but people have been great.

"Ninety-nine per cent of customers have been fantastic from day one. I am not just saying that — they really have. 

"But I think you get what you give. That is my motto. I was happy in the job."

Christine says that the pandemic was crippling for the store. She is also concerned about the impact that anti-social behaviour is having on the street.

"Drugs and drink and so on. It is more dangerous. We had the shop open later but we had to change the hours because of that. For many years we were open from nine to nine.

Jacinta McCarthy and store manager Christine Kelleher at Porter on Patrick Street in Cork

"The cost of parking doesn't help. Patrick Street is being killed slowly (by parking). We had a good run so we can't complain really.

"Porter wouldn't have been here without the customers. They have been so nice. We had a history here and our employers appreciated that. We thank them. We really do. "

Christine says her "feet will go up" with the closure of the shop but “not for too long” as she is an active person who likes to be on the go.

Employee Jacinta McCarthy who has worked in Porter for 12 years has a clear rapport and bond with Christine. 

She and fellow staff members Katelyn and Tara are sad to see the shop close its doors for the final time.

Jacinta said they have always stocked a great range of magazines and have been known as the go-to place for customers seeking certain titles.

"We have had regulars who come in for set magazines every week."

We used to have more regulars but we still have some. It was busier when I first started to work here.

Meanwhile, shopper Rachel Deasy from Templeacre Avenue on Cork's northside popped in to say goodbye to Christina and Jacinta. She has fond memories of going into Porter with her mother as a young child.

"I would go in to get Mandy and Twinkle (magazines) with my mother every Friday. And then we would end up going in to Burgerland for a treat. 

"Christine was so nice to everybody over the years. It is the end of an era. Even though all the other places opened on the street people still went into Christine."

Meanwhile, the closure of Porter, known to all as Porter's, is the latest in a series of changes to the main thoroughfare of Patrick Street.

The Eason store changed buildings in recent weeks whilst Dubray Books has also opened on the street. Fashion store North Face opened this week with Dune to follow in the coming days.