An incredible decade for one of Cork’s most sustainable food businesses
17:54, 02 Mar 2026Updated 19:26, 02 Mar 2026
“It’s always been about more than just food,” Virginia O’Gara says.
She and the My Goodness team have just celebrated their first full month at the Quay Co-Op, after taking over the café space above the landmark workers’ co-operative health shop on Sullivan’s Quay.
The famous restaurant operated for 44 years under Arthur Leahy. And now, American native Virginia, her husband Donal, and long-term business partner Wayne Dunlea, are proudly continuing its legacy.
Arthur, who is now in his 80s, is one of Cork’s most well-known LGBTQ+ and social justice activists. Back in 1982, he helped found the Quay Co-Op as a community project: a collective effort of individuals and groups from Cork’s queer, environmental and other alternative communities.
The Quay Co-op has, for nearly 45 years, been so much more than a health food shop and veggie restaurant; it has been a cornerstone of change towards social and political justice, and a pioneer of earth-friendly food in Cork.
Over a decade ago, Texas-born Virginia sat in the Co-Op café, discussing the start of a business that would one day take over that exact space. What a way to come full circle!
Discussions to start My Goodness started over cups of tea at the Quay Co-Op over a decade ago
The menu includes toasties, full breakfasts, nacho platters, parfaits and smoothies – all the stuff they are known and loved for. It has been an incredible 12 years for the award-winning, Cork-grown My Goodness. And there is no slowing down now.
“It all happened really quickly. Arthur rang us and offered it to us,” Virginia told Cork Beo, explaining that she was with her family in Texas when My Goodness was asked to step in and take over the restaurant. After over four decades, Arthur was insistent that he wanted a company with the ethics that made the Co-op so special to step in.
It was an offer the artisan food company couldn’t turn down. “This is where My Goodness started, really,” she said, “our very first meetings, we would come here and discuss starting the business, and unity and community.”
Many will recognise My Goodness for its English Market unit and stalls at farmers’ markets across Cork. They have a fiercely loyal customer base that loves them for their homemade kombucha, vegan and gluten-free lunch options, sugar-free treats, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability. If you haven’t tried their stuff, you are thoroughly missing out.
My Goodness is known for its market and festival stalls, English Market unit and now a restaurant on Sullivan’s Quay(Image: My Goodness via FB)
My Goodness first started serving colourful mezze bowls in 2014 at the Quay Co-Op’s ‘Another Place’ on North Main Street. Then came their raw vegan café at Very Healthy Food on Douglas Street. The brand soon began to gain recognition for its stall at markets, festivals and events across Cork.
The menu expanded, and they marked a major milestone when they opened at the English Market eight years ago. While the North Main Street and Douglas Street locations may be gone, their English Market unit remains one of the busiest parts of the business.
They have a production kitchen in the Marina Commercial Park, where every ounce of a product is used. There is a huge focus on a zero-waste system. Fermented kombucha becomes vinegar, which becomes vinegrette. Tofu byproduct can be used for cheesecake and mayonnaise. Nothing is wasted. Their innovation is impressive. And it’s undeniable: Cork is lucky to have them.
They’ve been rewarded with a reputation as a true local food hero.
Donal and Virginia O’Gara are the husband and wife team behind the award-winning My Goodness
For a woman who never saw herself in the food business, Virginia certainly has cultivated a good one. A 35-year vegan, she grew up in Texas at a time when if you didn’t learn to make your veggie-friendly food, you wouldn’t eat. That’s where her skill and passion for making her own vegan staples started.
Around 20 years ago, she moved to Cork as a dreadlocked and piercing-adorned punk. She was pursuing an education in permaculture – sustainable agriculture and horticulture in a way that mimics natural ecosystems.
Back then, Kinsale was the only place IN THE WORLD where you could study sustainable permaculture. Virginia came to Cork, met people from across the world, and dedicated her life to sustainable growing. It was inevitable, really, that eco-friendly food would become a key part of her life.
Virginia brings her passion for sustainable food into every aspect of the business
But she never expected such a huge boom in business, and the sustained demand for good, healthy vegan food in Cork has been heartening – as is the curiosity of the less veggie-inclined shoppers who stop and ask questions or sample some grub. She said: “We are extremely lucky and love being a part of the English Market and Cork, and now here at the Quay Co-op.”
“We do what we do, and we do it right,” she said, “The food scene in Cork is so welcoming. We are so lucky to be in a city where diversity is so welcomed. People from everywhere can come here and be welcomed. I want to see that continue.”
“We’ve always been about unity and community,” she said, and explained her business ethos that ‘the problem is the solution.’ “We live in Ireland, where there is a lot of rain, so I built a business on collecting rainwater and turning it into fermented kombucha and kefir.”
The business is still permaculture-based. They work with local farmers and local producers. They run a glass bottle return scheme and only work with retailers that accommodate it. Sustainability is key, and it always will be.
“If we can do it, anyone can,” she laughed, “I’m not a business woman, I’m a punk! – but I’m passionate about what we do here, and I stand behind it.”
It’s been an incredible 12 years for My Goodness – and there’s no slowing down now
There’s no slowing down. They are in the midst of developing a new bakery facility down the Marina, and now that they have the new space at Sullivan’s Quay, there is a clear vision for how they want to use it. Virginia is planning a community hub – just like the Co-op’s original goal of a shared, inclusive space for Cork city.
Among ideas for the café, which is open five days a week and is a great spot for brunch, lunch and coffee, is Virginia’s next quest to utilise it as a shared event space. “We’ll make it work for us,” she said.
Whether you have a crocheting club, are launching an indie music album, or need a space to host your breathwork class, you’ll soon be able to book an evening slot and use the restaurant space. It certainly sounds like a great use of the venue – evocative of Virginia’s zero-waste ethos: the café won’t go unused even after food service is done for the day.
“I believe in it. We believe in community and an inclusive shared space, a third space, that’s not a bar, in the city centre,” she said. “We’ve stayed true to what we believe in, and Cork is great for supporting Cork businesses. I think that’s what makes what we have so special here, and why we need to protect spaces like this.”
Virginia tells anyone hoping to start or make a sustainable change to their business that “careful decisions” are of utmost importance. “Start small, stay small, and stay true to your ethics. We are not experts, but our journey shows that you don’t have to do things by the book.
“It’s a very difficult time to start a business right now, so it’s more important than ever to stay passionate,” she said, “You have to love it, I wouldn’t still be doing it if I didn’t love it.”
“No one really gets into the food business to make money; you have to be excited, you have to love it, and embrace change!” she said, “I would also advise using all available resources and support. The Cork Local Enterprise Office has been so helpful to us, and I am delighted to work with them on sustainability in Cork. Even though I am a total anti-capitalist, they totally allow me to be myself and support us in our sustainable goals.”
Among city projects she is hoping to see in the coming years include a new bio-digester project for the English Market – a sealed system to break down organic waste like food scraps into usable energy and fertiliser. “It would be perfect for the market, to create a closed-loop waste system”, she said, “and would be great to see Cork leading the way with such an important project.”
Virginia is using her voice for sustainable business as she takes part in Local Enterprise Week, including a discussion titled ‘Climate Worrier’. She and Pat Falvey of Blarney Brewing Company will talk about making their business more sustainable and how others can do the same. The free session will be hosted by well-known author and comedian Colm O’Regan and take place at Vienna Woods Hotel on Wednesday morning.
Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Cork City is placing special focus on sustainable procurement and support structures for small businesses. All events are free, but you’ll need to book. Other sessions include Export Excellence, Setting up a Business, Business Supports, Sustainable Procurement, Leadership Insights, Stepping Stones to Self-Employment and Beyond and Makers In Focus. See more here.