{"id":548325,"date":"2026-07-14T00:23:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T00:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/548325\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T00:23:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T00:23:21","slug":"family-behind-east-corks-most-loved-restaurant-say-fond-farewell-after-100-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/548325\/","title":{"rendered":"Family behind East Cork’s most loved restaurant say fond farewell after 100 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is not the end as new owners step in<\/p>\n

Aherne’s Seafood Restaurant and Townhouse Youghal<\/p>\n

After more than 100 years of welcoming generations<\/a> of diners through its doors – one of Youghal’s most beloved restaurants has said a heartfelt goodbye to the customers who made it what it became.<\/p>\n

Aherne’s Seafood Restaurant and Townhouse has officially closed the chapter on over a century of ownership by the Aherne and Fitzgibbon family, who shared an emotional farewell message after serving their final customers.<\/p>\n

“And just like that, the end of an incredible chapter,” the family wrote.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on a legacy that stretches back to 1923, they thanked everyone who had been part of the restaurant’s journey from loyal customers and lifelong friends to suppliers and the dedicated team who helped build Aherne’s into one of Ireland’s best-known seafood destinations.<\/p>\n

“Yesterday marked our final day at Aherne\u2019s, in the family since 1923.<\/p>\n

To every customer, friend, supplier and member of our wonderful team who has supported us over the years \u2013 thank you.<\/p>\n

Your loyalty, kindness and memories have made Aherne\u2019s so much more than a restaurant and townhouse. It has truly been a privilege.<\/p>\n

As we hand over the keys, we\u2019d like to wish John and Julie Finn every success as they begin this exciting new chapter. Many of you will know them from Finn\u2019s Farmcut in Kinsale, and we have every confidence that Aherne\u2019s has a bright future ahead.<\/p>\n

This page will continue as John and Julie take you along on the next chapter of Aherne\u2019s, and we know you\u2019ll give them the same warmth and support you\u2019ve always shown us.<\/p>\n

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for everything.”<\/p>\n

The post quickly struck a chord with customers, many of whom shared memories, congratulations and words of thanks for the family who welcomed locals and visitors alike for generations.<\/p>\n

The farewell marks the end of three generations of family ownership, with Aherne’s earning a reputation far beyond East Cork for its award-winning seafood, warm hospitality and historic townhouse accommodation.<\/p>\n

While it is the end of an era for the family, it is not the end of Aherne’s.<\/p>\n

The keys have now been handed to John and Julie Finn, the team behind Finn’s Farmcut in Kinsale, who will continue the next chapter of the landmark business.<\/p>\n

The restaurant’s experienced team will also remain in place, ensuring many familiar faces will continue to greet customers as the next chapter begins.<\/p>\n

After almost four years on the market,<\/a> the successful handover brings certainty to one of Youghal’s most iconic hospitality businesses and ensures its story will continue for years to come.<\/p>\n

For countless customers who celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, family gatherings and special occasions at Aherne’s over the decades, it was a farewell filled with gratitude, memories and the promise that while one family’s remarkable chapter has come to an end, the story of Aherne’s is far from over.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It is not the end as new owners step in Aherne’s Seafood Restaurant and Townhouse Youghal After more…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":548326,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[72,61,60,34582],"class_list":["post-548325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-youghal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=548325"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548325\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/548326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=548325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=548325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=548325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}