22 May 2025
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Shanbally is the last village before Ringaskiddy, and its ferryport which links Ireland with the UK and the continent
Once a uniquely Cork operation, the Good Fish Company made European headlines earlier today while celebrating the latest significant milestone in its ongoing transformation as one of Ireland’s leading seafood processors.
To mark European Maritime Day, Ireland’s EU Commissioner, Michael McGrath, along with Fisheries & Oceans Commissioner Costas Kadis, and Timmy Dooley TD, Minister of State for the Marine, Fisheries and Digital Mapping, formally launched the multi-million euro processing facility in Shanbally, Ringaskiddy before touring the building and unveiling a commemorative plaque alongside Donagh & Denis Good of Good Fish Company.
The new factory underpins ambitious plans to accelerate company growth in the coming years by upskilling its current workforce of over 100 employees and utilising leading technologies to ensure sustainability and efficiency drive product development, thereby opening opportunities at home and abroad.
The company’s Guinness & Sean’s Whiskey seafood value-added range – including the award-winning Salmon with Guinness, Sweet Honey & Mustard Melt and Panko Crumb line, which was named Best New Retail Product for North America – recently launched in the USA, giving a significant boost while also demonstrating the facility’s innovative capacity.
Good Fish Company’s New Facility Opened by EU Representatives and Government Officials
Good Fish Company marked a major milestone with the official opening of its new multi-million-euro processing facility in Shanbally, Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork. The event was held on European Maritime Day and included a tour of the facility and unveiling of a commemorative plaque alongside company founders and special guests.
Pictured (L–R): Donagh Good, Founder, Good Fish Company; Costas Kadis, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans; Timmy Dooley TD, Minister of State for the Marine, Fisheries and Digital Mapping; Michael McGrath, Ireland’s EU Commissioner; Sinead McSherry, Assistant Secretary, Dept of Agirculture Food and the Marine and Seamus McGrath TD
Photo: Joleen Cronin
Pictured (L–R): Denis Good, Founder, Good Fish Company; Minister of State for the Marine, Fisheries and Digital Mapping Timmy Dooley; Donagh Good, Founder, Good Fish Company; EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis; and Ireland’s EU Commissioner Michael McGrath, at the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to mark the official opening of the new Good Fish Company processing facility in Shanbally, Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork.
Photo: Joleen Cronin
Carrigaline based Commissioner McGrath said: “I am delighted to welcome this incredibly impressive new facility by the Good Fish Company – an extraordinary Cork success story I’ve long admired and known personally. The journey started in 1988 when Denis Good opened a fish shop in Carrigaline and now, under the leadership of his son Donagh, the company is opening a state of the art, next generation processing facility in Shanbally.
“With vital EU and Government of Ireland funding behind it, this investment is a major contribution to enhancing Ireland’s seafood sector supporting employment and demonstrating the EU’s commitment to rural enterprise and innovation. I wish the Good family and their staff continued success in the years ahead.”
Good Fish has received support from the EMFF, Brexit Adjustment Reserve, and currently under Ireland’s Seafood Development Programme, which is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the EU as part of the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).
“We are delighted Commissioner McGrath, Commissioner Kadis, and Minister Dooley were able to join us for the official opening of our new location, just two kilometres from Cork’s new container terminal,” Donagh Good said. “Building the facility was essential for us to maintain our current growth and to respond strongly to the ever-increasing demand for high-quality frozen seafood products in the domestic market, in Europe, and further afield.”
Founder Denis Good opened his first shop almost 40 years ago in Carrigaline and quickly began to supply restaurants across Cork. Two retail units in Douglas Court and Kinsale followed, with seven shops open at the height of the company’s focus on retail operations.
However, it was a foray deeper into value-added products as the world faced up to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic that proved to be critical. Demand for the products had surged globally and export orders turned rapidly into more significant numbers, with an eye on new overseas markets.
“Our focus has always been to provide sustainably sourced fish and seafood and ensuring good quality from dockside to dinner tables. That ethos remains unchanged, though customers are getting more adventurous in their tastes!” Donagh added.
“Sustainable practices are at the core of processes at our new facility, so we foresee further development, new markets, a stronger and more capable workforce, and exciting times in our new home in Shanbally thanks to the support of everyone that helped bring this investment to life.”
The new processing facility is strategically located adjacent to Cork Container Terminal to facilitate immediate export once fish and seafood is fully processed on site, as well as allowing for quick access to the M28 and delivery throughout Ireland within hours of production. The project delivered a crucial three-fold increase in floor space, including an industry-leading A3 energy rating for the new building.
“This factory marks the beginning of another new chapter in the Good Fish story,” Donagh concluded. “Building on more than 35 years of hard work, innovation, and dedication that came before me, we’re excited about the developments to come while maintaining the same high-quality standards in service and products that Good Fish is renowned for.”