Thirst for former bars as buyer interest hots up

A bar with name that sums up its catchment is up for sale: it’s the Thirsty Scholar, on Western Road/Lancaster Quay, near UCC, the Mercy Hospital and The River Lee Hotel which changed hands last year for €25m.

It’s also next to the famed Cafe Paradiso, and the Reidy family’sWine Vaults,.

Estate agent Cearbhall Behan of Behan Irwin & Gosling guides The Thirsty Scholar at €325,000 and says in advance of it going publicly up for salethat there’s very keen interest from bar and restaurant operators.

“It’s one of the most well-known bars in Cork, due to its trading location on the busy Western Road, so close to UCC and the Washington Street ‘strip’, as well as hotel, cafes and guesthouses”, he says. Also reasonably close is the former Beamish and Crawford brewery site, one of the competing contenders for the city’s new event centre.

The premises – currently not trading – has 1,970 sq ft at ground floor, with second access from Wood Street with a further 1,000 sq feet over two floors overhead, which are in a shell condition.

There’s already a thirst and appetite for the premises: “we have received many enquiries prior to offering it to market, so we expect significant interest from both pub and restaurant operators,” says Mr Behan.

Details: Behan Irwin Gosling 021-4270007