History
Serving with Kindness since 1888
Just forty years after the Great Famine left its mark on Ireland, hunger still lingered in the shadows of prosperity. In 1888, inspired by a growing movement in London where a single penny could buy a hot, nourishing meal, a group of women in Cork took action. On March 12th, they met at the Imperial Hotel to bring the Penny Dinner idea to their city — not as charity in the traditional sense, but as a dignified, structured form of nourishment and care.
That meeting gave birth to Cork Penny Dinners — and the doors opened just five days later on Drawbridge Street, serving Irish stew and bread to over 200 people. From the very beginning, it was clear: this was not just about food. It was about hope, respect, and belonging.
Cork Penny Dinners was never the work of one person. It was shaped and sustained by hundreds of volunteers, most of them women — cooks, organisers, fundraisers, and quiet workers who kept the pot boiling year after year.
Meals were made fresh daily. Ticket systems were introduced to protect dignity. Depots opened across the city — on Hanover Street and Blarney Street — reaching hundreds of people each week. It wasn’t just charity; it was community.
As years turned into decades, the work continued through war, recession, urban change, and rising need. Cork answered again and again — with pennies, potatoes, and presence.
In 1949, a permanent home was established on Little Hanover Street, gifted and renovated by local businesses. For more than 70 years, it served as the beating heart of operations — a place where volunteers gathered at dawn and queues formed outside by midday.
In 2024, the charity relocated to James Street — a modern facility designed to preserve continuity, increase access, and honour the legacy. No day of service was lost.
Today, Cork Penny Dinners continues to serve meals every day, just as it has for over 140 years. It is supported by an ever-growing community of volunteers, donors, and partners. Cork Penny Dinners is more than a kitchen. It is a reflection of Cork’s conscience — a place where no one is forgotten, and every penny given, becomes a lifeline.
Penny dinners being served at Hanover Street, Cork 10/01/1933. Photograph: Courtesy Irish Examiner Archive
Our facility in James Street
Cork Penny Dinners
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