Donohoe's Foodfare premises for sale

 

A landmark building owned by a long-respected family business in the centre of Cavan Town was put up for sale this week.
'Donohoe’s Foodfare Est 1885’, run by Philip and Desmond Donohoe, has been a famous shopfront at the heart of Bridge Street since 1978 but the family were proprietors there a full 15 years beforehand.
The grocer and butchers has been put up for sale as the family are retiring from retail to pursue other interests.
The property runs from the Bridge St facade right through to Abbeylands, which is subject to re-development by the council and also has a connected commercial unit on Abbey Street.
The land and buildings are billed by agents O’Reilly, Taylor, Tweedy as 'commercial/development property’ and include a private, 25-space car park, a open plan supermarket, an EU-licensed abattoir and boning hall on site - the only such facility in Cavan Town - and an old coach house to the rear with original brickwork suitable for renovations.
The commercial unit front onto Abbey street is the only optional extra in the deal as all the other elements of the property are on offer in one lot.
Philip Donohoe Senior began his apprenticeship in 1946 Black’s Butchers, run by Belfast man Griffith Black.
After his time in Black’s in Cavan Town, Philip Snr decamped to run another Black’s outlet in Bailieborough, returning to form a business partnership.
“Black himself went back to Belfast in 1961 and my father took over and started it back up in ’63,” says Philip Junior, taking up the story.
“Myself and my brother, Desmond, came into it in the ’70s, joining the family business and have been there since and we built it up over the years.
“We bought different properties, we bought Cassidy’s restaurant next door and in 1978 Cassidy’s and Black’s was knocked down and put into one and became Donohoe’s - so, we traded under the name Black’s from 1963 to 1978.
“There is a commercial unit on Abbey St at the moment which can be transferred back into a residential unit and while that is part of the sale it’s optional and we can take that out - the whole shop area, the yard and the car park, however, is in one
“It backs onto the Abbeylands, with a private car park for 25 cars, between the shop and the car park is the abattoir we have an EU-licensed abattoir and boning hall, which is the only one in Cavan and are in use and will be in use until we decide to retire.
“The old coach house in the yard is where coaches used to be made - this is years ago - it would be a beautiful building to develop and do up the stone work. There’s beautiful stone work on it and the architecture is fabulous, so it’d be lovely to see it brought back to its original features.”
Signs will be going up this week for the foodfare with ads in national media, north and south of the Border in a premises ripe for development that is already attracting interest on the grape vine. Whatever it’s next reincarnation, Philip is keen to acknowledge those who made it what it is today.
“I would, on behalf of the family, like to thank all the loyal customers and friends that we met down through the years and also to all the present and previous staff who worked tirelessly with us all through the years that made it the successful business that it was.
“We have other interests and though we are retiring from retail, we’ll not be sitting in any armchairs!”