New owner confirmed for popular Douglas pub The South County

The long-established Douglas pub has changed ownership amid continued strong demand for Cork hospitality properties

The South County has been owned and run by the O’Connor family since the 1970s.  Picture Dan Linehan

The South County, one of the best-known traditional pubs in the Cork city suburb of Douglas, has been sold in a deal understood to be worth around €2m.

The landmark premises, which has been owned and run by the O’Connor family since the 1970s, was acquired by a well-known publican who owns several other licensed premises. 

Speculation that the new owner was Paul Montgomery, who bought The Wilton bar at the start of the year, has been dismissed. Mr Montgomery confirmed to the Irish Examiner that he is not the buyer.

Handled off-market by Sean McCarthy of ERA Downey McCarthy, the transaction is the latest in a series of high-profile pub deals across Cork city in recent months. 

Nearby in Grange, The Grange Bar, another popular family-run premises, recently sold for approximately €1m, while the owners of Paddy the Farmer’s on Summerhill South have accepted an offer of approximately €1.9m for their premises, which includes nine overhead apartments.

The South County, run by husband-and-wife team Tom and Maebh O’Connor and employing about 30 staff, has long been popular with both locals and tourists. While widely regarded as a traditional Irish pub, it also developed a strong reputation for food, live music, and hospitality, regularly hosting live music sessions, gigs, and tour groups.

According to the pub’s website, it has operated as a licensed premises for more than 200 years, with records showing refreshments were served there as far back as 1802, when Douglas was still a small village outside Cork city.

Family ownership since the 1970s

The modern era of the business began in the mid-1970s, when John and Mary O’Connor bought the pub from Beamish & Crawford. At the time, the brewery owned a number of “tied houses” — pubs linked to the South Main Street brewers.

Tom and Maebh O'Connor, proprietors of the South County Bar. Picture Dan Linehan

Their sons, Tom and Colm O’Connor, later took over in 1997 and 1998 after working in hospitality in the United States. In the late 1990s, they refurbished the pub, expanded the food offering, and introduced regular live Irish music sessions.

A further major renovation in 2009 added the Guinness beer garden, upgraded kitchens, and eco-friendly features such as solar-powered hot water and rainwater harvesting.

Over the years, The South County built a reputation as a traditional Irish pub, featuring dark timber interiors, snug areas, open fires, whiskey selections, and live music several nights a week. 

It became especially popular with locals in Douglas and visitors staying near Cork Airport or the ferry routes.

The pub has remained in family ownership since 1974, when the O’Connors moved down from Dublin. Tom O’Connor’s wife Maebh, is a daughter of the late Paddy (PJ) Sheehan, former Fine Gael TD for Cork South West.

Series of Cork pub sales

Other Cork city pubs to change hands recently include Reidy’s Vault Bar on Western Road, which sold to a food operator for around €600,000; The Viaduct on the Bandon Road, bought by Damien Long for more than €2m, with plans to develop it into a transport and travel hub; and Bull McCabe’s on Kinsale Road, which sold for €730,000 to a husband-and-wife team planning to convert it into residential accommodation.

Meanwhile, The Model Farm on Model Farm Road is sale agreed at €1.2m, while Tequila Jacks on Lapps Quay remains on the market with a €1.3m guide price.

Separately, the Emporium Company announced last week that it plans to reopen the landmark Electric bar on South Mall on May 22 under its new name, The Merchant. The group bought the premises several years ago for around €2m and is currently undertaking a “seven-figure” investment.

The group also owns Tradehouse Central, JJ Coppingers, The Castle, and Mabel Lane.

The first pub sale of 2026 was the acquisition of The Wilton Bar by Mr Montgomery for more than €3m, followed by a further €1m investment in upgrades. Mr Montgomery is currently developing the outdoor area, which he plans to open by June.

“We’ll have a coffee sheebeen where you will be able to get coffee from 7am and we’ll have barbeques and DJs. We’ll be very much focused on the outdoor area for the summer months,” Mr Montgomery said.