Roy Keane’s sweet tooth has sparked the busiest season yet for Shandon Sweets, a century-old shop in Cork. Tony Linehan, the shop’s owner, shared that his old friend has been a regular customer for over 40 years. But it was Roy’s recent appearance on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast that brought the shop worldwide attention. In the podcast, Roy raved about the shop’s boiled sweets, describing them as ‘from a famous shop in Cork, it’s a proper, old-fashioned sweet shop, aw it’s class’.
Shandon Sweets, founded in the 1920s by Tony’s grandfather, is not just a sweet shop; it’s a piece of Cork’s history. Located in the John Redmond St premises that once served as stables for horses serving the nearby Butter Market, the shop has been a family affair for generations. Tony’s father, Danny, and grandfather, Jimmy, both worked at the shop, and now Tony continues the tradition. The pride of place inside the door is a photo of Roy with Tony’s late mother, Betty, and his father, Danny.
The shop’s traditional process of sweet-making, which remains unchanged today, is detailed in a nearby sign. It describes the making of a batch of clove rocks, from the huge copper pans to the moulding machines and the secret mixture boiled to a high temperature for three-quarters of an hour. The mixture is then poured onto a large metal table, and the shaping process begins.
Since Roy’s endorsement, business has been booming. Tony shared that November is usually quiet, but now the phone is off the hook non-stop and the online orders are through the roof. ‘I’ll tell ya one thing, Roy will be getting the next batch of sweets on the house!’, Tony said. But here’s where it gets controversial… While Roy’s support has brought new customers, some may argue that it’s not the best use of his influence. And this is the part most people miss… Shandon Sweets is not just a sweet shop; it’s a piece of Cork’s history, and Roy’s endorsement has brought worldwide attention to this century-old family business.