A little less Con-versation

Another beloved long-standing Cork city business will close its doors for the last time this weekend.

This Saturday, Con’s Fruit and Veg on Bandon Road will serve its final customer, bringing to an end its almost 45 year history.

Known for fresh produce, great value, and famously friendly owners Con and Denise Murphy, the little shop has become much more than a place of business over the years.

A local customer said: “Con was great for the chat and always gave good advice on the best option for you.

“The shop will be hugely missed as a social centre too because Con was always in a good mood and the chat was part of the experience,” they added.

With just a few days to go before they close, Con said he and Denise have been blown away by the response they’ve received from the community since announcing the news.

“It's massive. We absolutely just couldn't believe the response to it. We didn't realise that we'd touched so many people,” Con told the Cork Independent.

Local TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said the closure will be a “huge loss” to the area.

He said: “Con’s Fruit and Veg has been serving people in Bandon Road, McCurtains Villas and the Lough parish for a very long time. More than a greengrocer, it has been a place people pop in for a drop of milk and a chat, as well as picking up veg and fruit for the week. I know a lot of people will have very fond memories of Con’s shop and I wish them the very best for the future.”

Looking back over the past four decades of doing business, Con said the thing they will likely miss most will be the excitement of not knowing what each day will bring.

He said: “You open up that door in the morning and you just do not know what's going to happen. There's something every day, there's some bit of news, there's something happening. Never a dull day!”

Days will certainly be duller on Bandon Road without Con’s Fruit and Veg, especially on top of the loss of Lennox’s Chipper last October, but Con feels the future is bright for the area and said he and his wife are extremely proud of the business they built over the years.

“With all the new supermarkets that came in, they didn't affect us too much. We still held our customers, and we have to thank our customers for that. They stuck with us all the way,” he said.

“No matter what happened, the store kept going for us all the time. It just kept giving, thank God,” added Con.

Another long time customer said: “Another landmark business goes from Bandon Road. It’s a pity.

“Mostly I remember the conversations I had with Con and his wife ranging through the politics and events of the day, to watching ‘Chernobyl’ and the death of Marie Curie’s husband,” they added.

With their work done, Con and Denise are looking forward to taking some well-deserved time off. An avid cyclist and caravaner, Con said he plans to hook up his touring caravan and hit the road.

“We might even go abroad with it, you'd never know,” he said.

Singers closure

This week, the iconic Singer Sewing Centre will close its doors after more than 150 years of business in the heart of Cork city.

Since the 1870s, the business has been repairing and altering garments from its late-Georgian premises on the corner of Grand Parade and Washington Street.

Affectionately known as ‘Singer’s Corner’, the shop has been a landmark of Cork city for generations with its striking black and gold floral motif a stand-out feature on the street.

Originally, the building was the headquarters of the Singer Company in Ireland and every floor was in use for offices and workshops.