Cozy Cafes of Ireland

Our touring groups are surprised to enjoy wonderful food in Ireland. Prepared food is usually 100% local, often fresh and unfrozen, and presented in very attractive ways.

This is not limited to evening meals in restaurants as there is a wonderful revival of quality cozy cafe’s, especially in small Irish towns.

These cafes focus on both tastes and healthy options including choices of soya, rice, goats and regular cows milk plus choices for those with allergies such as gluten free choices. Usually these cafes are owned and staffed by attractive young and attractive local Irish girls who provide wonderful service and carry a true pride and passion for their work.

They are decorated with the intimacy of a homestyle lounge with a mix of small tables and chairs plus some comfy sofas. Current daily papers and some interesting magazines are usually in abundance. Each cafe is unique with no sense of following a particular fashion or duplicating a franchise like formula.

Many of these cafes also host intimate entertainment evenings to provide a perfect showcase for local writers, poets, play writers and musicians.

Today I had lunch at one of these cafe’s “Tish Shearoid”, in Ballagherdereen, Co. Roscommon. What attracted me was its slogans scribed on its walls.
Here are some of them …

“There is no trouble so great or so grave
that cannot be diminished by a cup of tea.”

“When you are cold, a cup of tea warms.
When you are heated, a cup of tea cools
When you are depressed, a cup of tea cheers
When you are excited, a cup of tea calms.”

“Coffee should be
as black as the devil
as hot as hell
as pure as an angel
and sweet as love.”

“Pour yourself a cup of tea
and tell me everything.”

So when you are in Ireland, in one of its small towns, do seek out its local “cozy” cafe, whether alone of with joyful company, and let us know about it.