The Chicken Inn occupies a large block of stalls in the Grand Paradr Market and is run by Mary and Jack Mulcahy. Mary's father John Lane, had a wholesale poultry business based in Tower Street in Cork and supplied a number of city shops though the bulk of his trade was in the export market.

In the mid-1950's he took a stall in the Market, previously held by the Cuthbert family, and commenced business selling poultry, eggs and butter. Having this retail outlet enabled him to maximise profit as his wholesale firm supplied the stall. Supplies were sourced at country markets in towns like Millstreet and Macroom and directly from the farm also, where the farmer's wife usually ran the eggs and poultry side of the business. A government initiative had established a programme to encourage farmer's wives to raise oultry and training was given by poultry instructors to enable farm families diversify and increase their income.

Mary started working in the market when seventeen at £4 per week. At that time all the produce sold at the stall was locally produced, the chickens and eggs were free-range and there was a seasonality in the trade. In spring and summer the supply of roasting fowl, young chickens raised specifically for their meat, greatly increased. Older hens that were past laying were available throughout the year as boiling fowl. Roast chicken was a relatively expensive meat and was regarded as a novelty or treat, often served for Sunday dinner. Boiled chicken was more commonly eaten and chicken broth was a popular food for the sick and old. Chickens were sold whole and were cleaned at the stall when purchased. Mary remembers that it was not until the 1980's that the practice of selling separate parts of the chicken became commonplace. Half chickens were first sold and later wings, breast fillets, legs and chicken pieces were offered. Today this range has increased further with an ever-changing variety of prepared meats and new and more intensive production has greatly increased the supply of chicken and brought it within the reach of all.

In reflecting on 50 years in the Market Mary recalls that in the past most customers were women and were very regular and predictable in their buying habits. Today an increasing number of customers are recent arrivals in the city, coming from all over the world, and on saturdays nearly half the customers at the Chicken Inn are non-nationals. Their tastes are different and there is an impetus to cater for new demands, a development that Mary sees as exciting as the Market adapts to its changing customer base.