Sad news as Notes to Cork closes after 33 years in business
They’ll be missed.
It’s a time for goodbyes on Douglas Street this week, as Al Dalton of Notes to Cork officially closes the family business after 33 years.
Al took the reigns of the company, originally called Poster Displays Ltd., from his aunt Breda in 2019 after she was diagnosed with cancer.
During the pandemic, the company rebranded and restructured to try to stay afloat as Al leveraged his creativity to reimagine outdoor advertising and help brands connect with their customers.
“This decision has not been made lightly and the change in our circumstances is beyond our control,” said the creative director, sighting the consistent rise in operating costs and the loss of key billboard sites due to building developmentaround the city as having had a devastating impact on the viability of the business.
“The Covid times shaped our new identity (Notes To Cork), ethos, and focus and allowed us to undertake exciting new ventures with so many Cork-based artists, businesses, and collaborators.”
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The creative agency has plenty of successes under its belt in just three years: they invested nearly €10,000 in commissioning and supporting local artists; hosted exhibitions; winner of the Rebel Thinking Award in 2022 which acknowledged the positive impact the company had on Cork life during the pandemic and for raising €5000 for local charity Cork Arc Cancer.
Al has no plans just yet but is happy that the studio on Douglas Street will take on a new life as an arts producing hub, which will be run by a collective of Cork-based arts producers.
“It’s nice that the creative legacy of the space will live on,” he said.
