Cork's Shandon to get once-in-a-generation €7m funding boost

Shandon is to benefit from a “once-in-a-generation” €7m funding boost for the redevelopment of the Butter Market and Weighmaster’s House.

Cork City Council received the funding under the Thrive (town centre first heritage revival) scheme.

The historic Butter Market and Weighmaster’s House will be restored and reimagined as ‘Shandon Exchange’, an enterprise and community hub.

Local butcher James Nolan, who is part of the Shandon Area Renewal Association, said the funding boost would bring regeneration to a long-neglected part of the city.

“We are proud that the community has been at the heart of shaping this project from the very beginning, and that they will have a role to play in the redevelopment and future operations,” 

he said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Fergal Dennehy, Lord Mayor of Cork, said that the regeneration of the Butter Market marked an important milestone for Cork city.

The project demonstrated what could be achieved when local authorities, communities, and enterprise partners worked together, Mr Dennehy said.

“Once central to Cork’s trading life, the Butter Market will once again become a place of exchange, reflecting Cork’s spirit of resilience, creativity, and ambition,” he added.

Cork City Council chief executive Valerie O’Sullivan said the project demonstrated how heritage buildings could be reimagined as places of innovation and enterprise while remaining rooted in the local community.

“By combining enterprise, education, and community use, the Shandon Exchange will act as a catalyst for sustainable growth, talent attraction, and job creation on Cork’s northside, ensuring that the benefits extend well beyond the walls of this iconic site and that the Shandon area can reach its potential in the city,” Ms O’Sullivan said.

“Reaching this significant milestone is a great credit to the city council team, the people of Shandon, and the Southern Regional Assembly, who have worked together to deliver this.”

Tony McNamara, chairman of Recreate Shandon CLG, said the vision for the Shandon Exchange was to create a space where enterprise, community, and education could come together to exchange ideas, develop new opportunities, and build a more sustainable future.

“This project is about more than bricks and mortar, it is about breathing new life into the Shandon area, working hand-in-hand with Cork City Council, the Shandon community, and our partners in industry to make this vision a reality,” he said.

Owned by Cork City Council, the complex will be operated by Recreate Shandon CLG, which will manage the facilities and deliver programming for Shandon Exchange — enterprise and community hub.

Construction on the complex is expected to commence in August 2026, with the project scheduled for completion by February 2028.