CORK DEAF ENTERPRISES

CORK DEAF ENTERPRISES
2a Sundrive Park, Ballinlough Road, Cork, Ireland
Ballinlough
Co Cork

Not-For-Profit Information

WHO WE ARE

Deaf Enterprises is Ireland’s only dedicated employer of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community. Founded in 1987 by Fr. Bill Clarke, our charity (CH. 8730) was set up to tackle the high rates of unemployment among Cork’s deaf community but has subsequently grown throughout its history to provide training and placement opportunities. We have been a proud part of Cork’s deaf community for over 30 years.

Four EU Horizon projects successfully completed: 1. Furniture Manufacturing 2. Motor School for deaf people 3. Ten sign-language interpreters and three tutors trained to Diploma level. 4. Jobnet Consortium – participation of disabled people in the workforce. Our fundraising goes towards further developments and to improve our facilities for the future. Your support is very much welcome and appreciated.

HISTORY

We launched our workshop in 1988 providing re-upholstery, sewing, French Polishing and furniture manufacturing and restoration. We received training approval from FÁS in 1989 and charitable status and incorporation as a limited company in 1989. Sign-Language and English are used for communication in the workshop. Over 100 deaf people have taken part in the employment, training and work experience initiatives of the company since we began and most of these have go on to work elsewhere. New showroom opened on 6th July 1998. New offices opened in January 2000 for our own administration and to offer secretarial services to the locality.

 

WHY CHOOSE US?

Deaf Enterprises provides a top quality re-upholstery and French-polishing service at our workshop on the Ballinlough Road in Cork. Deaf Enterprises has since it was established in 1988 provided a high quality re-upholstery and French Polishing service to the people of Cork City and county and beyond. Our fully trained and qualified personnel restore all antique furniture as well as 3-piece Suites, Armchairs, Queen-Anne Chairs to the highest standard. We also recover mobile homes, caravan cushions and boat cushions.

An extensive range of fabrics is available in a wide choice of colours and designs and our friendly staff are available to help with your selection. Visitors to the workshop are welcome to view work in progress and finished work and also see for themselves the excellent workmanship available. We provide free estimates and all work is carried out at our workshop which is located on the Ballinlough Road in Cork.

WHAT WE DO?

The work we have undertaken includes jobs for private individuals such as 3-piece suites, armchairs and kitchen chairs as well as upholstery work for bars, hotels, nursing homes, schools, barbers, and playschools. We also offer a wide choice in occasional furniture such as fireside-chairs, Queen Anne chairs, pouffes and footstools which can be manufactured to your own spec and in your choice of fabric from our extensive top quality range. Our expert and friendly staff will be happy to assist and advise you in your choice and a home delivery service is available.

Our services:

  • French Polishing
  • Upholstery

OUR SPECIALTIES

A selection of restored and re-upholstered furniture is on sale in our showroom at very competitive prices. We also make foot-stools, blanket-boxes and headboards for customer’s own size and design requirements. French polishing is a wood finishing technique that results in a very high gloss surface, with a deep colour and chatoyancy. French polishing consists of applying many thin coats of shellac dissolved in alcohol using a rubbing pad lubricated with oil. The rubbing pad is made of absorbent cotton or wool cloth wadding inside a square piece of fabric (usually soft cotton cloth) and is commonly referred to as a fad.

In our French Polishing section a restoration service is available for both antique and modern furniture such as tables, chairs, chaise lounges and coffee tables. Furniture repairs are also carried out on all types of furniture. Furniture restoration is a niche service provision where overtime, beautiful furniture within the home becomes damaged, broken, or simply not in a suitable condition to function for the purpose it was designed for. CDE provide a service to look after these items, as the beauty of furniture is that it has lasted generations and this is proof and testimony to the furniture makers of the past.

Number of paid employees: 
21-50 employees
Current board size: 
6
Annual turnover: 
€250,000 - €500,000
Not-for-Profit focus: 
Disability, Local Community Development, Healthcare

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Location

Office Address

2a Sundrive Park, Ballinlough Road, Cork, Ireland
Ballinlough
Co Cork