West Cork fishmongers closes due to ongoing roadworks

A West Cork fishmongers has decided to close its doors after over three years of business.

West Cork fishmongers closes due to ongoing roadworks

A West Cork fishmongers has decided to close its doors after over three years of business.

The Little Red Fish Co. based on South Main Street in Bandon closed its doors for the final time after roadworks in the town led to a significant drop in its takings.

The sewerage and drainage works have closed main roads and streets in Bandon which is making it difficult for people to enter the town or commute around the town, and in turn, is affecting business.

Speaking to Patricia Messinger on C103's Cork Today Show, owner of The Little Red Fish Co., Lar McCarthy, said that keeping the business open would be unsustainable as the ongoing roadworks led to a 50% drop in takings over a six month period.

"This all comes down to the roadworks in Bandon at the moment. It just came to the point where it was unsustainable and we had to make the decision to close the door.

"There's going to be another 18 months of this in Bandon at least and it just would not work. At the end of the day, you're in business to try and make a few bob and if you can't do that then you're wasting your time," he said.

The business is comprised of a fish shop and a seafood takeaway which offered a hot food service, both of which are now closed.

Everybody's so sad and sorry about it, but for us, the saddest part is the people of Bandon and the surrounding areas have been very good to us and very loyal to us.

"I think in our three and a half years there we've never had a complaint or bad word with anybody, it was just a real friendship with people."

Two staff members will also lose their jobs due to the closure, however, the door-to-door delivery service which has been in Mr McCarthy's family for six generations will continue.

The service sees fish delivered to houses from Skibbereen to Cork city and also supplies restaurants and hotels. People of Bandon can still get their fish delivered two days a week.

Mr McCarthy recalled the work of his grandfather during a time when fish was delivered on a donkey and cart.

"My grandfather used to buy fish off boats in Kinsale and with a donkey and cart and worked his way all the way to Castletownbere, sleeping in farmers' sheds at night.

"He'd arrive in Castletownbere and buy more fish and work his way back," he said.

Mr McCarthy said he would not rule out reopening the business on South Main Street once roadworks are complete but said that towns are suffering from the opening of supermarket chains.

"I would never rule it out. I've always said I never rule out anything because you don't know what you'd be doping in 12 months' time.

"Towns in general, and you can see this in West Cork, are suffering anyway. When you look at Aldi and Lidl and these other big super chains they're all going to the outskirts of towns.

"It's a sad reality of the way life is going. You can't fight against that, you have to evolve and go with it as much as you can.

"The people of Bandon for what they have gone through in the last 10 years, with floodings and so on, they're the most resilient people in the whole county.

"They're still standing and fair play to them. I take my hat off to them they're amazing," he said.

more courts articles

Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother
Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman

More in this section

DUP Hold Crunch Meeting To Decide On Return To Stormont Jeffrey Donaldson steps down as DUP leader amid ‘historical’ sex offence charges
Berlin UKB Hospital Is Among Germany's Most Modern Nearly 10,000 people left waiting on trolleys across country in March
Spring weather Mar 28th 2024 Here's what to expect from weather and travel this Easter weekend
War_map
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited