Well-known Cork city pub set to reopen

A well-known Cork city pub is set to reopen this summer.

Preachers pub on Washington Street closed its doors in January but will soon be given new life under new management.

The bar was previously rented out by the Rearden’s Group, but the city centre bar is set to reopen under the owners of the popular White Rabbit Bar and BBQ on MacCurtain Street.

White Rabbit owner, Stephen Vaughan, revealed that they will continue on with the well-known Preachers name, and that he hopes to restore the pub to its former glory.

“Its an institution. We’re not going to change too much," Mr Vaughan told The Echo. "It’s a good drinkers pub and it has a great reputation for that, so we are going to try to keep it as that. Everyone seems to like the place. There is obviously a lot of painting and reupholstering to be done. We’re not trying to turn it into some fancy cocktail bar.

“Everyone has good memories of it," he added. "We have had nothing but positive feedback with Preachers. Everyone has been saying things like ‘oh I used to drink here when that fella owned it, I used to drink there when I was in college, or I had my first pint there.’"

Mr Vaughan said that they have begun necessary repairs to the premises and is positive that the pub can be reopened in the coming weeks.

“Our hope is that we would be open before the June weekend but it’s the best will in the world with all these things, with builders and deliveries," he explained. 

"We are being positive though to open for the June bank holiday weekend.

“We started works on the pub there about last week," he added. "We did the deal on it there a while back but there is a fair bit of structural work to be done. We had to put in a new keg room and cooling system. There is a fair bit of work to make everything safe.” 

Mr Vaughan hopes his and his wife’s extensive experience in managing bars will revive the old pub, and make it a popular haunt for people in Cork city once again.