MacCurtain St’s revival is built on local business loyalty

The likes of the Metropole and the Everyman are mainstays in a diverse street that has gone from strength to strength over the past decade

MacCurtain St. Picture Larry Cummins

King Edward VII is reputed to have had tea on the roof of the Metropole Hotel in Cork when he visited the city in 1903 with other famous names coming through the doors including Walt Disney, Ella Fitzgerald, Gregory Peck, and John Steinbeck.

However, for Aaron Mansworth, managing director of Trigon Hotels, which include The Metropole, the real star power of McCurtain St has always been derived from its enthusiastic and motivated business owners.

He says businesses on the street are showing great resilience in the face of the cost-of-living crisis. This is no mean feat given that it was preceded by the pandemic lockdowns.

Mr Mansworth remembers being brought to the Uptown Grill on MacCurtain St after cubs when he made his way from his hometown of Cobh to Cork City as a youngster.

At that time he could never have imagined he would have ended up overseeing the Metropole Hotel in what was known as Cork’s Victorian Quarter until it was recently rebranded as the VQ.

The street, he says, offers an eclectic mix of specialty retail, hospitality and entertainment experience.

Manworth says that the Metropole Hotel, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, is an ever-present fixture on a street which has seen its ups and downs over the years.

He emphasises that the one thing that he loves most about the Metropole is that pretty much everyone you speak to in the city has some connection or other to the hotel.

“They will say that a parent or a grandparent got married there. I was talking to people recently and one person said that their father was a maintenance man in the Metropole years ago another said that his uncle worked as a porter.

“Recently we learned that Charles De Gaulle was here for lunch many years ago. We have had the likes of Walt Disney. What I really like about the Metropole is that we welcome everybody the same. The amount of people who have gone through those doors! It's an old-school hotel.”

Aaron says that the hiring of Shane Clarke as the new director of operations of the VQ alongside the trojan work of VQ chairman Ciaran O’Connor has led to a massive rejuvenation of McCurtain St.

MacCurtain St. Picture Larry Cummins

“The work that is going to be done on the public realm with the city council is also going to bring it to a whole new level. When you see the quality of the establishments as well that have opened. There are a lot of people who deserve a lot of praise.

“The staples, such as the Shelbourne and Gallaghers, who have been there through thick and thin and really always supported the street. People give of their time an awful lot.

“It is great to see the resurgence on the street. We had a very successful Jazz weekend. The amount of people I met over the weekend who weren’t leaving MacCurtain St because there is so much to do.

“We have had some great additions on the street. The old Hadji Bey shop is now To Have and Hold, the florists. The likes of the addition of the Glass Curtain has been immense. That is one of the best restaurants in Cork. It has got such a mix.

“Bridge St is now full and the one empty unit that was there, the lads from Cask have opened up a new bar called Paladar. They have put massive amounts of time and money in to it.

“Around the corner in the Coliseum, you have the coffee shop opened up and Moody’s Tapas. It’s a bustling area.”

They are planning a lobby refurbishment at the hotel but Mr Mansworth says they have to be careful to retain the “feel and vibe of the Metropole”.

Top-notch food and services

Ultimately, he feels that patrons return to MacCurtain St because food and services are “top notch” and value for money.

“I grew up in a family pub and my father taught me that the people coming through the door, the few bob that they spend is probably going on a few pints, so you have to make sure they are happy. Traders in MacCurtain St try to do that.”

Shane Clarke says there is no shortage of demand for units on MacCurtain St.

“One of the strengths we have is in our independence and diversity. It is not all of our eggs in one basket. It is not all in retail. It is not all in hospitality.”

Mr Clarke paid tributes to the third-generation watch and clock shop, Stokes, which has “ been there since the beginning of time”.

“They repair and do services, not just for the lovely grand clocks you might find in a house, but bigger clocks. That is what makes the place magic.”

He says the charm of MacCurtain St lies in the fact that it has individual bespoke highly specialised shops and is a genuine neighbourhood.

MacCurtain St. Picture Larry Cummins

“I was meeting people outside the Metropole the other day and there was two of us waiting for somebody else to come along. And, in the course of five minutes, six or seven people stopped to say hello. One of the things you can’t account for in a business plan is friendliness or neighbourliness.

“I think Cork is imbued with that. People bump in to each other and stuff happens. It is that kind of exuberance. People take a risk and they open a business here and they do it with passion and style.”

Sean Kelly, chief executive of the Everyman Theatre, says MacCurtain St is so much more vibrant now than it was even a decade ago.

“For our patrons, there are so many choices of where to eat and drink. Places to go afterwards. It is a really buzzy area now and it great to be a part of it.”

The Everyman celebrated its 125th anniversary this year.

Mr Kelly says that Covid-19 was hugely difficult, but they were “touched” by the loyalty shown to them once the restrictions lifted.

“People were really supportive of us and really wanted to be part of the Everyman when it re-opened. People like to experience an event as a group.”

“Panto sales under director Catherine Mahon Buckley are brisk. All shows are selling really fast. Faster than any panto has sold before. It is moving really well for us.

“My kids love the panto and there is a lot on the street for families in terms of food when they are going to the panto.”

He says there is a “collegiate atmosphere” among businesses on the street.

“We try and meet up as business owners for a catch-up and to try and work together. It is interdependent.”

On a personal level, he has fond memories of being told that he had gotten the job as CEO in the Everyman as it occurred the same week as his now eight-year-old son was born.

He and his wife have since gone on to have another boy who is now five.

“They really love it here. They missed it so much when it was closed.

“They are looking forward to coming in at Christmas to see the pantomime.”