By EchoLive.ie Elaine Whelan
The iconic Jackie Lennox鈥檚 chip shop is set to receive a new lease of life as another popular fast-food chain is to open at the Bandon Road location.
Fish and chip business Catch of The Day began as a food truck around 15 years ago and was bought by Cork local Cathal O鈥橠onovan and his partner Tracy in 2017.
The seaside enterprise currently operates a food truck in Kinsale, located at the New Bridge and in 2019 the pair announced that they were to expand their business in Carrigaline.
Their Owenbue location in Carrigaline has since gone from strength to strength and the business owners have now decided to cast their net wider with a Cork city location.
The former Jackie Lennox chipper located on the Bandon Road, Glasheen was a well-loved institution in Cork, serving chips to loyal customers for 73 years.
Jackie Lennox’s opened their takeaway on Bandon Road in 1951 and has served generations of Cork families and UCC students in the area.
In October 2024, owners Frances and Brian Lennox announced the closure of the famous eatery, saying that time had crept up on them and they were ultimately “unable to cope with the burden of our success”.
They said Jackie Lennox and his wife Eileen “raised nine children, seven of who were born above the shop,” adding that all the children worked in the shop over the years.
Frances and Brian thanked all the loyal customers, workers and suppliers over the years saying it has been “a privilege”.
“Please remember us fondly and we hope that we have made in a small way a contribution to the culture of Cork,” they concluded upon announcing the closure The chip shop served its last supper on October 6 2024, with Cork customers left mourning the loss of their favourite fast-food haunt.
The Bandon Rd location has remained empty since the closure last year, which was described as the end of an era for Cork.
The legendary Jackie Lennox鈥檚 chipper went up for lease in January of this year, with Frances Lennox and Brian Lennox saying, 鈥淭he name is gone, but there鈥檚 a great business to be run here. It鈥檚 ready to trade, everything is here, all you need is a float for the tills and fresh product.鈥
The famous unit is set to begin a new era as it is to reopen under a new name, with the Catch of the Day team expected to open the familiar doors once more at the end of the month to serve the people of Cork city for what is hoped to be many years to come.