17 December 2025
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Members of Cork Business Association gathered for a pre-Christmas networking breakfast at the start of December at the James Whelan Butchers Eolas Room, a new immersive butchery experience which opened in Cork last week within the brand-new Dunnes Stores Food Hall on Patrick Street.
Dave O’Brien, CBA President; Pat Whelan, James Whelan Butchers; Cliona Barnes, CBA, and Darran Walsh, James Whelan Butchers, pictured as Members of Cork Business Association gathered for a pre-Christmas networking breakfast this morning, Friday 5th December, at the James Whelan Butchers Eolas Room, a new immersive butchery experience which opened in Cork last week within the brand-new Dunnes Stores Food Hall on Patrick Street.
Picture: Michael O’Sullivan / OSM PHOTO
The Eolas Room represents a major step forward in personalised retail, service excellence in Cork’s food culture and will allow customers to observe the artistry of butchery up close, learn directly from a specialist, and gain a deeper understanding of product quality, preparation, and provenance.
At the heart of the new space is an Executive Butcher, who will provide a one-on-one, appointment-based experience that removes the traditional barriers between the customer and the craft.
Speaking at the event President of Cork Business Association, David O’Brien said: “We welcome James Whelan Butchers to Patrick Street, which is the vibrant heart of our city. To have such a successful, traditional butchers here in the centre of the city is testament to how attractive our city centre continues to be for customers and for new retailers investing in our city centre. We are encouraged by the growth of retail in the last year in the city, and we are excited about what is to come in 2026 as we expect that upward trend to continue.”
Speaking on the addition of the Eolas Room to Patrick Street, Pat Whelan said: “We have received such a warm welcome to Patrick Street which has such immense retail heritage. We are particularly mindful of this heritage, especially as our presence is in the very building where Dunnes Stores first opened its doors in Cork over eight decades ago.”
“Being in the original home of Dunnes Stores was a compelling reason that this investment was made in Cork city centre. We are so proud to be part of the future of this special building and also now part of the excellent retail offering in the city centre.” Pat added
On the state of the art James Whelan Butchers Eolas Room, Pat said the new shop has been designed to elevate the customer’s butchery store experience, while building the foundations of a stronger, more connected food community. He added that one of the core challenges in today’s food market was helping customers recognise and appreciate the true value of service and food quality.
“The Eolas Room is designed to increase meaningful engagement, strengthen trust, and elevate customer relationships far beyond a single transaction. The focus is not simply on selling meat, it’s on building a lifetime connection with nature and the food that we eat, rooted in expertise, personalisation, and authenticity,” Pat said.
We are lucky to have so many amazing food producers and retailers in Cork city centre, from the iconic English Market traders to our neighbours in the new Dunnes Stores Food Hall. where everyone’s goal is to work together to shorten the supply chain, while offering world class food sustainably to Cork shoppers.”
James Whelan Butchers’ new Patrick Street shop will be open seven days a week. For opening hours and further information on James Whelan Butchers visit www.jameswhelanbutchers.com and for further information on Cork Business Association visit www.corkbusiness.ie.