Benny McCabe opens latest venture 'The Fountain' as publican welcomes 'new era' for Cork City

Irish Examiner

11 hours ago

Cork publican Benny McCabe has welcomed what he calls a revitalisation of the city centre as the prominent businessman welcomes his newest watering hole, The Fountain, which is set to open this week.
Occupying the former USIT travel office at 66 Oliver Plunkett Street, Mr McCabe calls his latest venture an ode to the 1870s.
"Think of it as an urban saloon," the publican tells the Irish Examiner.
"Back when I was a kid, we had pubs just like this across the city. We have a lot of great spots, but we have nothing representing this era in history, so this is our tribute. Its country, but not country, Victorian but not Victorian and American, but not American."
Mr McCabe, who owns a chain of pubs that make up the Heritage Trail across the city centre, says that despite some challenges, there remains an abundance of opportunity for Cork.
The new Fountain Bar in the former USIT office at 66 Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork.
"My glass is definitely half full. Trading conditions right now are reminiscent of the early 90s. Habits are shifting to the benefit of city centres. The minimum wage is rising, which means every teenager is working and able to spend that money.
"I think the minimum wage hikes are a great thing. I have a lot of young staff and if I'm paying them, I want them to be able to spend that money, and they are - in the city centres."
Among Mr McCabe's growing portfolio of pubs are Sin é, Mutton Lane, The Oval, El Fenix, The Bodgea, The Park, Arthur Maynes, the Pavilion, and Old Brennan's, which opened last year and is also located on Oliver Plunkett Street.
"We opened Old Brennan's in May 2024 and have already seen incredible success," Mr McCabe says.
"We were named 'Wine Bar of the Year' just last week, after just 12 months in business. It goes to show the buzz around the city and the demand for places like these."
The Fountain, which sits on the Grand Parade-end of Oliver Plunkett Street, is opening amid a turning point for Cork City, Mr McCabe says, pointing towards sharp increases in footfall and customer spending, particularly during the summer months.
"Even clubbing is coming back. We've had several sell-out nights in the Pavilion recently, which has been incredible. It's on these sell-out nights that we see rises in intercity trade, which helps prop up the local economy."
"No-go" areas
Recent weeks have seen renewed debates on the standard of safety in Cork City. In May, a meeting of Cork City Council was told that certain areas had become dangerous no-go areas, with calls from politicians led by Fianna Fáil Councillor, Seán Martin to "take back the city centre."
His comments were met with heated backlash from fellow councillors, who accused him of sensationalising the problem and damaging the reputation of the city.
Touching on the issue, Mr McCabe said: "Of course, there is some crime in the city centre, just like every other city centre in the world."
"I think what we are seeing are a lot of attitudes from people living in Cork suburbs about the city, and not those who live in the centre. And these problems don't happen at night. When it gets dark, the streets are filled with private security, so we don't see these things happen."
"The fact of the matter is, right now, there are not enough chimney pots in Cork City," Mr McCabe says, referring to the little to no Dáil votes to be had in the city centre areas.
"With respect, we have no councillors or TDs in the city centre. But what they will soon realise is that, politically, the city centre can not be ignored much longer. Things are changing, and for the better."