REVELLERS heading out into Limerick city centre this Christmas have a new bar to toast, in the shadow of Opera Square.
Staff at Fordes Courtyard are gearing up for what they hope will be a busy festive season at the pub, which is located opposite the Old Quarter Bar in Little Ellen Street.
The stylish new outlet was opened by business partners JJ Mulcahy and Roger Carey back in the spring, in a move which created 26 new jobs.
The duo are stalwarts of the local hospitality industry, also owning the Old Quarter Bar, the Old Quarter Townhouse Hotel and the Tap House in Annacotty.
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Fordes, which specialises in Neapolitan food, and has its own Italian chef to support this, opened on a site occupied up until 2022, by Cobblestone Joe’s.
The business’s unique name harks back even further than that with the stone building housing John Forde’s Antiques Courtyard in the late 1990s.
Mr Mulcahy, who hails from Cappamore, said the outlet complements the Old Quarter Bar and the Old Quarter Hotel perfectly.
“We had the chance to take this on. Having a business on this side of town already, we wanted to complement what we were doing. We looked at a different version of what we could put in there and we eventually settled on a bar. With that, we did a bit of research in terms of what is already out there. The whole Italian Neopolitan pizza theme came to mind. I’ve seen a few places in Britain that do it very well, so I said we would try it,” explained the businessman.
At the heart of the kitchen in Fordes is a traditional Valoriani pizza oven, delivering an authentic taste of Italy with every dish.
The standout is the dough, made in-house and cold-proofed for 48 hours to create a crust that’s light, airy and full of flavour.
But it’s not just pizza on offer at Fordes Courtyard.
A quick glance of the menu reveals a selection of delicious-sounding pasta dishes, and street food, with an Italian fusion.
Think roast garlic mozzarella fries, fries with spicy cured meats and Pancetta parmesan fries!
Lighter salad options, and paninis made out of the venue’s famous pizza dough are on offer during lunch.
Asked what made him want to invest and open the new bar – most probably the only licensed outlet to begin trading in Limerick this year – Mr Mulcahy said: “We have invested heavily in the Old Quarter Bar. We’ve seen the investment which is going into Opera Square. With that, it was an opportunity too good to miss. You have to take a chance with everything you do in life.”
Across the three pubs and hotel, Mr Mulcahy and Mr Carey employ 120 people.
For them, a big part of bringing staff in is training them in all aspects of their business.
“I have a passion for trading. We would always be at pains to state how we should educate people on the trade. Titles don’t mean anything in this trade – it’s all about the knowledge. And if you have the knowledge and the skillset, there is the chance to do things,” Mr Mulcahy added.
To this end, he has worked with Griffith College and the Vintners Federation of Ireland as part of a consortium offering the only degree course in the country in bar management through the apprenticeship model.
It was Mr Mulcahy himself who was the lead proposer on the project.
He also stressed the importance of the management and the teams running his businesses for their dedication and hard work.
Mr Mulcahy is a very proud Limerick man, the Cappamore man admitting the hurlers’ five recent All-Ireland titles have made this very easy!
But he wishes people would shout more proudly about what is happening on Shannonside.
“I’m from Limerick. I grew up in Limerick. Limerick is a great city. One of our biggest challenges is people love talking the city down. Why are we not talking it up? The more people we have building the city up, the better off we’d be. Limerick is such a unique city. Having grown up here, I don’t think there is anywhere quite like it in the world,” he concluded.
An ideal place for a Christmas party, Fordes Courtyard opens Tuesday to Friday from 12noon, plus Saturday and Sunday from 1pm.
Telephone 061-501015, visit www.fordescourtyard.ie, or email info@fordescourtyard.ie.
Dining and Cooking