It’s a fair ‘Cop’ as nightclub off the market

THE nation’s most famous nightspot, Copper Face Jacks, was this week taken off the market as owner Cathal Jackson informed staff he was retaining his interest in his club.

We can reveal that Cathal was on the cusp of signing a deal to sell the club but balked at the last minute and decided instead to hang on to his much loved Harcourt Street venue.

In March it was announced that the Dublin club was to be sold and speculation was rife as to who would be the next owners.

The front runner with the highest bid was a consortium led by Joe Dolan’s nephew Colin Dolan and backed by businessman Alan McIntosh.

After much to-ing and fro-ing it was just this week that Jackson decided to keep his club as the offer was below his asking price of what was widely reported to be a whopping €60m. Former guard Cathal has for the past 20 years been a regular feature manning the club’s door and welcoming customers along with his doormen. Despite being a multi-millionaire he rarely took time away from the venue.

But ill-health forced him to take a break and he has been absent from his usual spot at the doors for over a year. However, this week he sent a missive to his loyal staff informing them of the good news that he was back in business and had ‘formally withdrawn the property from sale’ .

Cathal and his wife Paula, pictured, thanked the staff for their support during his time of ill-health.

The boozer is a gold mine with profits now standing at €63 million. Breanagh Catering, which operates Copper Face Jacks, recorded pre-tax profits of €4.1 million last year. So famous is the club, that has spawned many romances and weddings, that it even inspired a popular musical.