“We had heard, as so many others had done, of Dwyers of Cork. Indeed, the name seems naturally to associate itself with the city.”
– A Review of the Progress of Dwyers of Cork (1931)
A vintage-style gastropub located on Cork’s Washington Street, Dwyers of Cork is a new addition with an old name and one we strive to live up to!
The name Dwyers is woven into the fabric of Cork, beginning in 1820 with the establishment of James Dwyer’s drapery, wholesale and haberdashery business at 26-29 Washington St.
Over the next century, the enterprise grew into an empire that employed thousands in the city, with Dwyer and his descendants striding tall amongst the merchant princes on Leeside.
At the heart of that empire was 26-29 Washington St, which grew into a remarkable complex of warehouses and factories over the decades, covering several acres and connecting via footbridges over neighbouring streets. Hosiery, shirts, shoes and boots (under the pioneering Lee Boot Company name) were manufactured on-site, while the business also expanded to other city locations including the Sunbeam factory in Blackpool.
Dwyer’s commitment to both his customers and staff was infamous. The development of Dwyer’s sports grounds allowed employees to look after their wellbeing (while the occasional, or sometimes often, dance was thrown by the factories and departments within the company).
Customers were prioritised with the creation of rest & tea rooms. These rooms consisted of beautifully presented writing desks where weary travelling buyers could recuperate their spirits and write a letter on the Dwyers house colours (blue and white), with a matching teacup in hand. These letters were then posted on the premises.
Today that empire is but a memory, but the legacy of enterprise encapsulated in the Dwyer name lives on. As a new addition to the fabric of the city, Dwyers of Cork pays tribute to one of its
