One of Cork’s biggest bars will be back serving pints within days as its new owners have teased reopening before St Patrick’s Day festivities. The South Gate will open its doors this Thursday, the “first of many great nights ahead.”
The new owners of the former Flying Enterprise complex on Sullivan’s Quay have renamed the famous pub to The South Gate (after its neighbouring bridge) and have given it a refurbishment ahead of the grand opening.
Taking to social media, the team confirmed they will be open before the weekend. They wrote: “We’re Opening! Join us on Thursday to say you were there at the very beginning. Cold Pints Great Food Good Vibes. “We’re opening The South Gate on Thursday for first drinks, first laughs and the first of many great nights ahead.”
The new name was inspired by South Gate Bridge, a historic landmark which has “connected people entering the city for over 300 years,” they wrote.
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The sale of the Flying Enterprise complex, which exceeded €5 million, set a new record in Cork last year. Its closure, which included the Courtyard on Sober Lane, was the end of an era for a well-known Cork publican family. It had been owned and run by Finnbarr O’Shea for decades, and he had overseen years of development and expansion along Sullivan’s Quay, including his major project to transform the former Christian Brothers’ schoolyard into an award-winning beer garden venue.
Sullivan’s Quay CBS closed in 2006 after 180 years due to declining population in the city centre, and a number of years later, Finnbarr took a punt on the empty school with a vision to transform it into a vibrant venue. The outdoor bar was named the best outdoor pub space at the prestigious Irish Pub Awards in 2019, and the Flying Enterprise lounge and restaurant earned silverware from the Better Building Awards Pub Frontage 2010.
Here’s hoping that the new management will be able to follow in its footsteps and continue its lasting legacy as The South Gate. The pub reopens at noon this Thursday.