In a welcome sign of progress, the iconic former Debenhams store, more fondly remembered as Roches Stores, on Cork city’s main street, is finally back in view, looking better than ever after a much-needed refresh.

Its facade, kept under builder’s wrap for months, has emerged sharper and crisper than it’s been in years, as new owners Intersport Elverys continue to pump money into creating “an exceptional shopping experience”.

While work on the 150,000 sq ft premises is taking place away from the public gaze, it’s understood millions have been invested in upgrading the interior, and in enhancing the landmark store’s appearance, in preparation for the eventual re-opening.

Shoppers are hopeful of a pre-Christmas return-to-use of one of the city’s best-known commercial buildings which closed its doors more than six years ago.

What has been confirmed to date is that Intersport Elverys will occupy the flagship store in the building — 16,000 sq ft at ground level and 22,000 sq foot above — under an atrium/dome installed in the 1990s.

Planning permission was granted last year to divide the ground floor into three units, paving the way for full occupancy. Cosmetics, skincare and home-fragrance retailer Rituals, is due to occupy one unit. Spanish fashion retailer Zara has also been mentioned as a possible future tenant. A fourth retail unit will be accessed off Maylor St.

Intersport Elverys purchased the property for €12m in 2023, considerably less than the €20m list price.

It came to market after Debenhams controversially ceased trading in Ireland in 2020, shortly after the start of the pandemic. Debenhams had acquired the lease in 2006.

Subsequent to acquiring Debenhams, the Mayo family-owned sports retailer scooped up another three properties on Maylor St as part of a plan to develop a hotel and other accommodation facilities — and possibly more retail components — a mixed use development that requires a separate planning application.

John Staunton, director of InterSport Elverys, previously told the Irish Examiner that Debenhams was “too important a building for Cork city centre to be left idle any longer”.

The building’s history started with William Roche in the early 1900s when he expanded a small furniture business into clothing and other household goods, taking over London House, one of the the city’s best known shops in 1919. The name Roches Stores was formally adopted that year.

The shop was burnt down during the Burning of Cork, which took place in 1920 during the Irish War of Independence. The replacement Roches Stores opened in 1927. The building we know today was designed by Chillingworth & Levie, a Cork architectural practice. Its distinctive features include a prominent copper-covered dome and a grand, classical-style façade.

For generations of Cork shoppers, Roches Stores was much more than a department store. It was a family institution, known for its broad range of products and personal customer service.