100s of fashion fans queue on Opera Lane for New Look closing ...

Shoppers were waiting for over an hour in a queue stretching the length of Opera Lane and longer for a chance to get in and browse New Look's huge closing-down sale.

At the fashion brand's four stores - including Wilton, Blackpool and Ballincolling - there were crazy queues as bargain hunters dedicated their afternoons to shopping at the UK retailer ahead of its closure.

New Look is having a massive everything-must-go clearance sale of up to 50% off ahead of shutting down its 26 brick-and-mortar stores - with discounts so good that plenty of fashion fans were tempted to wait their turn despite a morning of Status Yellow-level wind and rain.

The queue stretched from the doors of the three-storey fashion store, the whole way down Opera Lane and onto Patrick Street. Two hopeful shoppers told CorkBeo that they had been waiting "an hour and 10 minutes" before even stepping foot in the door.

The chain is ceasing trading in Ireland as part of a major restructuring plan that the owners hope will give the business a viable future. While New Look clothes will still be available online via ASOS and Very, the retailer had just under 350 staff at their physical locations, many of whom, after today's manic sales, will be out of a job.

The High Court in Dublin had been told that New Look Ireland will remain open and will continue to trade for the next few weeks.

It's a blow to Cork city's retail sector and will leave a prime Opera Lane unit empty. However, the premier shopping street is enjoying some new life as of late, with a number of new names opening in recent months.

This month, Mountain Warehouse opened at the three-storey corner unit previously home to TopShop. The UK outdoor clothing specialists are a welcome addition to a site which had been empty since 2021. Last month, Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works opened to great fanfare in the middle of the Christmas shopping season.