Former pet and garden supply store in Cork could be set for a new lease of life

A well-known premises on the Lower Glanmire Road could be set for a new lease of life after a planning application was lodged to change its use.

The application, lodged with Cork City Council, seeks permission to change the use of the former McLaughlin's city store from retail to hospitality.

McLaughlin's, which specialises in pet care, gardening, and agricultural supplies, announced last year that they would be closing the city branch to centralise operations in their Bandon headquarters.

"McLaughlin's of Ship Street, Cork will close its doors for the final time in March 2020 after serving the Cork community since 1978 and spanning three generations,” the business said in a statement at the time.

"The decision to close our Cork store comes on the back of increasing competitive market challenges and the decision to centralise our operations to our headquarters in Bandon.

"Bandon and our Mitchelstown store will continue to serve the County of Cork, and beyond like we have for the past 70 years."

The new plans would see a bar/café and “periodic live entertainment space” developed at the former city store near Kent train station.

The family-run business has its roots in 1947.

That year McLaughlin's started off with a business in Bandon, McLaughlin’s Bandon Medical Hall, established by the late PJ McLaughlin.

Starting off as a pharmacy, Mr McLaughlin later started to gear the services of Bandon Medical Hall to the needs of the farming community.

He began to source and stock products in his shop in Bandon which were oftentimes unavailable on the British market let alone in Ireland.

In 1954, he set up Bandon Agricultural Products (BAP) which manufactured products in Bandon such as potato sprays, cattle minerals, vitamins and more.

The business expanded again when the second generation of McLaughlins joined and added their own value and expertise including the late Joe McLaughlin, a veterinary surgeon, John, a pharmacist, Catherine, Noreen, Maria and Claire with Catherine's late husband Tom leading the crop protection side of the business.

Today, the business is run by the third generation of McLaughlins, Joe’s sons, Dave and Philip. 

The agricultural arm of the business is now known as McLaughlin’s Farmcare.

The planning application regarding the former city store was lodged earlier this week by Bandon Medical Hall Ltd.

A decision on the application, which is currently at pre-validation stage, is due by October 18.