Retail recovery continues on Cork city's St Patrick's Street, with the imminent arrivals of the likes of intimate wear brand Victoria's Secret and fragrance retailers Body and Bath at Opera Lane, jewellers Austen & Blake next to Brown Thomas at the junction with Winthrop Street, along with market reports also of a Seasalt Cornwall clothes wear store and a fashion jewellers Lovisa all in the wings. Direct jewellery sellers the Neve Group are set to open under their Austen & Blake banner in a compact but high profile slot between Brown Thomas and Penneys at No 22 St Patrick's Street. The parent company, Neve/Diamonds Direct manufactures its own diamonds for wedding and engagement rings and sells via its stores trading as Austen and Blake.
It has agreed a deal off-market on the jewel-like No 22 St Patrick Street via agent Margaret Kelleher of Cohalan Downing, and has just applied for planning alterations to include reinstatement of the original style tall doors between the feature double bay curved glazing. To generations of Corkonians, the diminutive corner shop is still fondly referred to as Cudmores, the sweets and fruiterers who had No 22 for decades: it was later occupied by Vodafone, and later by ices seller Gino's Gelato. The former Cudmores in Patrick St was later occupied by Vodafone, and later by ices seller Gino's Gelato.
Jewellers Austen & Blake are not set to open there. Picture: Des Barry Now, diamond jewellers Austen & Blake are set to open at No 22, between local.