Former Midleton pub and Cobh Dry Cleaners up for grabs 

The owners are retiring - presenting business opportunities for new owners

49 Main Street, Midleton (Batt Murphy's Bar)

THOSE on the hunt for business opportunities in East Cork have two to choose from: a former pub premises with conversion possibilities in Midleton and a dry cleaners in Cobh. 

Both are in bustling towns and come up for sale as the owners retire. The pub premises, where the license is sold, is at 49 Main Street, Midleton. It traded for 35 years as Batt Murphy’s Bar, prior to which it was a television shop.

Cobh Dry Cleaners is also a long-standing family business (23 years), with seven years left on a 35-year lease at 19 West Beach, Cobh.

Cobh Dry Cleaners, 19 West Beach, Cobh

The Midleton premises, stone-fronted at the upper levels, is a three-storey building (190.5 sq m/2,050 sq ft) with a bar on the ground floor and overhead, a large dining area fronting the main street, as well as a kitchen and ladies and gents WCs.

 Four rooms, largely used for storage/office, make up the top floor. 

The Midleton agent is Clare Fox of Sherry FitzGerald O’Donovan and she described No 49, which she is guiding at €380,000, as “an iconic building...in a prominent position on Main Street". 

While a new owner will not have the option of running it as a bar, Ms Fox said it is nonetheless a good commercial opportunity. Sketches can be provided to interested buyers showing "a possible conversion to a retail unit on the ground floor and two apartments overhead, subject to planning", Ms Fox said. 

No 49, at the corner of Main Street and Distillery Lane, "benefits from a high pedestrian footfall", said Ms Fox, and there’s a large public car park to the rear. The building, (BER C), has front and side access.

Ms Fox said there is good interest from both investors "and those looking to set up their own business". 

Over in Cobh, Johanna Murphy of Johanna Murphy & Sons is handling the sale of Cobh Dry Cleaners which she said is “the only dry cleaners in town”. The 600 sq ft premises is on the ground floor of a four-storey building – but just the ground unit is for sale. Included in the sale is specialised dry cleaning equipment: three dry cleaning presses, three dryers, five washing machines. There’s a yard to the rear and there is also a WC.

Ms Murphy said the €64,000 guide price is for the lease and goodwill. Weekly rent is currently €475. She added that the dry cleaners is “a great opportunity for someone to have a business in Cobh, where the population is at nearly 15,000”. 

FormMore info Midleton: Clare Fox, Sherry FitzGerald O’Donovan Tel: [phone] E:[e-mail]  More info Cobh: Johanna Murphy Tel: [phone] E:[e-mail]