Well-known Caseys approved for furniture store at former Cork printers

Planning conditions also aim to minimise traffic disruption and safeguard pedestrian safety, and a traffic management plan must be agreed in advance in an area that can be a traffic chokepoint at certain times of the day. The purpose-built light industrial building is immediately east of Mahon Retail Park, with which it shares an access from the Mahon Link Road. It’s next to a Johnson and Perrot car dealership, and Mahon Point Shopping Centre is across the road, as is a DFS furniture store.

Other conditions of the planning grant include that the developer must provide adequate off-road parking for construction and delivery vehicles and that working hours be restricted to 8am-6pm Monday to Friday and 8am-4pm on Saturdays – unless prior approval from the council is obtained.

The developer is obliged to pay a levy of more than €97,000 as a condition of the development.

The application from John Casey Ltd to redevelop Webprint – which it acquired earlier this year – will see the distinctive building which was formerly used as a newspaper and magazine printing facility (vacated in 2025), partially extended and converted into a one-to-five storey furniture warehouse, with retail store, showroom and first-floor café with adjoining external balcony. 

The premises will be reconfigured internally to provide retail showroom space across the ground and first floors, bringing the net retail warehouse space to more than 4,600 sq m. The existing car park, which provides 28 spaces, will be reconfigured and retained.

The retailer, which has traded in Ireland for more than 100 years, hasn’t yet said what its plans are for its high-profile city centre premises on the Grand Parade end of Oliver Plunkett St, when it does relocate to the 1.4ha Mahon site.

When it first emerged that the company was seeking permission to redevelop, Webprint John Casey Ltd said it was "fully committed to supporting a thriving and growing city centre in Cork", adding that it would maintain its presence at the Oliver Plunkett St and Grand Parade premises until future uses for the property have been secured. The company also said it had commissioned an architect and property agent to undertake a feasibility study into the potential reuse and redevelopment of its city centre premises.

The new premises is expected to be completed and operational in 2027, and will employ 18 staff across a full standard working week.

Founded in 1921 by John Casey, Caseys Furniture operates three stores in Cork, Limerick and Dublin, employing around 75 people.