About
Our Story
A Tale of Friendship, Hardship & Grit
Alchemy (noun): a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination.
“finding the person who's right for you requires a very subtle alchemy"
There's something magical about Alchemy
After the 2008 crash Eoin Hurley and Ronan Power set out to open Alchemy café and bookstore on Barrack Street to offer the community daycent coffee, cakes, treats and a space that offered freedom of expression during a time of economic depression.
Although this wasn’t Eoin or Ronan’s first leap into entrepreneurship; Eoin was a co-owner in the Swell surf school at Inch Beach Whitegate and Ronan was heading up the five aside leagues around Ireland since the early 2000’s.
The Barrack Street you see today is a very different place to what it once was back in 2008, when every second business shutting its doors and much of the street was dilapidated. The street was shut down for refurbishment for the bones of two years while construction continued.
“Alchemy was really a bit of alchemy in the making! I had an idea to open a food stall, and Ronan (Alchemy's other brainchild) spent his days working from coffee shops and had been looking to open one for a while. It wasn't the first time that this idea had come up between us. I'm from a catering background and worked as a chef and Ronan has the business acumen, so it made sense to start something together. One day he sent me a picture of 123 Barrack Street. The area had just received a facelift and was full of character, we fell in love with it immediately. From that point onwards it was truly a creative whirlwind."
“We had a budget of zero and about a month to open before Christmas so we started with a few pallets and then scanned thrift shops, attics and even our own sitting rooms and sheds for the Alchemy style. I can't say our wives were too pleased when the coffee tables were being taken out the back door!"
We want our customers to feel like they are in an authentic space where they can create, write, read, be inspired and, of course, enjoy our coffee and homebakes. We aim to be original in everything that we bring to the café, including our interior, which features decoupage of pages from 1950s and 1960s Cork Examiner and our floating table suspended in mid-air. And then there's our homemade Keyser Rolls, named after the nearby Keyser Hill.
We also host monthly exhibitions by both local and overseas artists so that our customers can be brought on a true café journey.
“Being a chef for the last 20 years I'm well familiar with the hospitality industry. This is, however, my first venture in front of house. I'm usually swearing out the back and singing along to the radio, so this is a big change for me. So far, we've been lucky enough to find baristas that are true coffee lovers and are doing an amazing job for us. Their passion and enthusiasm is what keeps the café buzzing and makes our life easy."
Fast forward to the the global pandemic (I know, I know, nobody wants to be reminded of it!) Alchemy went through a bit of a scramble. With the cafe closed for sit down and not able to serve the people of Cork with daycent coffee and the sweet or savoury goodies that we always did. Then Boom an opportunity came up in the Marina Market - Cafes were allowed open their doors again but only for grab and go...
We were back! The cakes started to sell out every weekend and that’s how Alchemy productions was born. Our purpose built kitchen for supplying cakes to the greatest people on the planet, the people of Cork and all its habitants.
Alchemy
A place for me, for you and all of your crew,
A place built on dreams, where coffee flows in steams
A place of rest half ways up the breast of the hill, a plateau where time stands still.
It’s the yeah no hassle, hey - take a look at that tassel, the typewriter from the past and the lads behind counter having a blast.
It’s the study and the grind of young scholars growing minds.
It’s the OG’s of Barrack Street popping in to get something sweet. It’s the oh yeah go on.. I’ll have another one for the road sure.
Alchemy... It’s not just a cafe - It’s your cafe… A shout out to you from all of our crew
In the bad times and the good, we’ll be here in the neighbourhood
“Take it handy, we’ll see you soon’’
“Well Ted, fire on the tunes”
Our Locations
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123 Barrack Street
A bohemian coffee shop and bookstore with a quirky interior featuring art from local artists.
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Marina Market
Our little café and bakery in the bustling hub of Cork City that is the Marina Market.
