A Legacy of Dedication: Mary Lennox and the farewell to Lennox’s after 73 years of service

After 73 years of serving the people of Cork, Jackie Lennox’s, our family’s beloved fish and chip shop, will close its doors. 

Founded by my grandparents, Jackie and Eileen Lennox, it became a cherished part of the city, feeding generations and standing as a symbol of community and tradition.

My mother, Mary Lennox, is the eldest of Jackie’s nine children. From childhood, she worked behind the counter, and throughout her life, she was a constant presence at the shop. Even after retiring, she came back to help her younger siblings during tough times when staffing issues arose.

That’s the kind of dedication Lennox’s inspired in our family — none of us could ever really leave it behind.

Like many of my cousins and siblings, I started working at Lennox’s as a teenager, and I continued during my years as a medical student, balancing shifts at the shop with my studies down the road at UCC. 

What I learned behind that counter went far beyond wrapping fish and chips. Watching my mother and her siblings, I learned the value of hard work, the importance of community, and the deep connection between place and people. 

And of course, everyone — from local residents to celebrities — was asked the same question: “Would you like salt and vinegar with that?” 

Despite being the toughest job I’ve ever worked, I truly enjoyed my time behind the counter at Lennox’s. One of the highlights was when a Cork ex-pat would return from exile abroad — or, for some, from Dublin (which, as any Cork person knows, might as well be abroad!). 

You could see the delight on their faces as they called out their order from the back of the queue. Then, as they clutched the steaming nest of fish and chips wrapped in paper, their eyes would tear up — partly from the salt and vinegar vapour, but also from the sense of being home. 

It was a moment that never got old and one that always reminded me how special Lennox’s was to people.

In many ways, Lennox’s was a school of life. The precision my mother and her family applied to every task — whether it was ensuring we served the perfect chip or keeping the shop impeccably clean — instilled in me the importance of attention to detail. 

In the food business, detail often means hygiene, and believe me, we did a lot of cleaning. These were lessons that would serve me well later in my career in medicine, where both precision and care for people are paramount.

Lennox’s wasn’t just a place for celebrations. In the 1990s, when unemployment was high in Cork, families would come to Lennox’s for a treat. Sometimes they came infrequently because money was tight; other times, families came more often because the structures to put a hot meal on the table had fallen apart. 

No matter their reason, Lennox’s was there to offer them the comfort of fish and chips during difficult times.

As we say goodbye to Lennox’s, it feels like we’re closing the doors on more than just a shop. We’re closing the doors on a piece of Cork’s history, a gathering place where stories were shared and memories were made. 

For my family, and for so many others, Lennox’s was home.