'You just don't get that in Denmark': One devoted fan makes 2,000km journey home for final Lennox's supper
Robert Burton O'Sullivan, who has been coming to Jackie Lennox’s chip shop since he was a child, pictured ordering his final supper which he’ll be sharing with his mother who lives locally. Picture Chani Anderson
Hundreds of people are again gathered outside the famous Jackie Lennox's chipper in Cork to get their final taste of its battered best before its closure on Sunday.
The pouring rain isn't enough to deter loyal customers from queuing to get one last steaming portion of food.
On Thursday, many loyal devotees waited for almost three hours for their final meal, with queues starting from the moment the chipper opened at 12pm.
Despite knowing about the long delays, one determined Cork man took his loyalty to a whole other extreme, travelling 2,082km from Denmark to have “the last supper” in his favourite childhood chipper.
Cork man David Lavelle is making the journey from Bornholm, a small island off the coast of Denmark, where he boarded a ferry at 5am on Friday to Sweden.
He then travelled across Sweden on the Øresund Bridge, before finally getting a flight to Dublin and an Aircoach, where he is due to arrive in the Rebel County at 6pm.
What started as a joke, became a reality for David as he considered making the journey to Bandon Road for one last time, arranging his flights and travel on Tuesday.
The visit will be a quick turnaround as he departs Ireland on Sunday, giving him just enough time to enjoy “one last Lennox’s supper”.
“I'm really looking forward to it, even just to stand in the queue as well, I've no problem with that at all. I think it's really one of those things you're going to remember,”
Speaking to Cork’s Red FM programme, David was not phased by talks of the two-hour long queues outside the chipper.
“Oh sure that’s nothing, I’d wait 10 hours if I’d have to. I’m well prepared, so I am.”
David heard of the news of Lennox's closure from a friend in Cork, who often sends him pictures of him collecting his takeaway from their favourite chipper.
The takeaway holds fond memories for the Cork native, who grew up in close proximity to the business.
“I grew up on Lough Road, so I was literally 200 yards from Jackie Lennox,”
“I can remember being collected from Greenmount School when I was young .. and sometimes my mother would bring me along and we’d get chips,”
“But I've just so many memories from it,”
The painter and decorator, who has lived on the island for 27 years, said the business represents a special part of his childhood, marking an important visit each time he returned to Cork.
“Every time I'm home, we'd say, all right, we’ll make the tea and let's go to Lennox’s. That's always the first thing,”
“You can't get that kind of food, that real fish and chip stuff - you just don't get that in Denmark,”
Already decided on what he will order, he said he will get his “usual” — two battered sausages, battered burger and chips.
“That's been the main one for a long time.”
“But I like the double Jackie Deluxe as well, and mushrooms — you can't get any battered things over here, so I miss the batter,” he said.
Although not aware of the current Cork weather as he left the “sunshine island” behind, David remained unbothered about the queueing conditions, all for the greater cause.
"There's been a big adventure to get here with the sole purpose of getting Jackie Lennox's is for the last supper,"
Elsewhere in the queue, one Cork local reminisced on his college days, visiting the chipper after nights out.
"When I was a student, down the road, we always used come down here - it was the ideal spot,"
"You'd have €5 in your bank account, you'd come to the counter for a bag of chips," he said.
Another man from London, joined the queue after hearing about the famous chipper.
"I'm off to a wedding this afternoon so thought I'd start the day with fish and chips,"
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