Cork's Cummins Sports is given 30-day trading lifeline

The High Court has approved a 30-day extension for the examinership of long-standing Cork retailer Cummins Sports, examiner John Russell has said.

Mr Russell, of Baker Tilly, said the additional 30 days will facilitate work to find a solution that will enable the business to continue trading, while also preserving as much employment as possible.

The brand, co-founded by former GAA star Kevin Cummins, entered examinership in March, following a series of economic shocks and a surge of online competitors, with the company generating annual losses since 2023.

The retailer has also closed its two flagship city centre stores in recent years, shutting its first store, on Princes St, in 2023. Earlier this year, Cummins Sports closed two more stores: Castlewest Shopping Centre in Ballincollig, and its long-standing North Main St store.

The North Main St closure marked the end of a 30-year relationship with the busy city centre site, with the retailer shifting its focus to stores in high-performing shopping centres and regional locations. Its store in Bandon also closed in October last year.

The Little Island-headquartered company has four brick-and-mortar stores left: At Douglas Court Blackpool Shopping Centre, Fermoy, and Midleton.

The company employs 74 people, with 48 jobs expected to be saved in the examinership process.

Founded in 1971, Cummins Sports has remained closely linked to its GAA heritage, producing the sliotars that have been used in All-Ireland hurling championship finals since 1976.

At its peak, Cummins Sports, which supplies sporting goods, had 10 shops, 110 employees, and a turnover of €12m in 2007.