The Quintessentially Irish Beehive Craft and Coffee Shop
One could make a very strong case that the Beehive Cafe and Craft Shop on Achill Island is one of the most authentic and uniquely Irish cafes in Ireland.
What boxes need to be ticked to make the perfect cafe?
One box for me, which rarely gets ticked well is the ability to be able to sit outside.
Having coffee, breakfast, or lunch is meant to be a relaxing experience, and nothing makes the experience more relaxing than being able to sit outside.
Whether it be a sunny day or under an awning with rain drizzling around you sitting outside while enjoying a coffee is a beautiful experience.
Most cafes fall at the first hurdle. If a cafe does have outdoor seating, they usually have very few seats, and this few seats will either be
a) Out the back of their cafe so you’re looking at a wall,
or b) At the front of their cafe, so you have a few seats looking at a busy high street.
When it comes to the Beehive Cafe, you have many seats, and you are overlooking a Bay!
Of course, box number 2 which needs to be ticked, is the food and coffee the cafe serves.
You would love your cafe to have an extensive menu using locally sourced and organic ingredients, but in cities, this is a lot to ask for with usually smaller menus of the same overpriced items.
Lots of cafes will fall at this hurdle.
The Beehives standard of cuisine and ingredients is of an insane standard. No reason the Beehive Cafes makes the award-winningĀ Gourmet GreenwayĀ list.
Their meats, cheese, fish, breads and more are all locally sourced on essentially an organic island! nevermind organic food.
Sheep and cows roam the Island of Achill, while fish comes off the boat directly from the pier. Even their seasoning is local and award-winning.
What about alcohol? This is a small box which, again, many cafes can’t tick.
The odd fancy cafe in inner cities may offer you wine or an overpriced bottle of beer, but given that the Beehive is located on the west coast of Ireland and an island! You can enjoy whiskeys, cocktails, beers, pints, or wine, any time of the day with your lunch or coffee.
The decor and furniture of the Beehive Cafe are pure Achill and a beautiful mix of Irish craft and local authenticity.
Everything about the cafe just seems “real”. You sit at real furniture made of real wood surrounded by real Art made by real people. Locally made crafts and ceramics are on display while Irish candles give the cafe a wonderful aroma. Everything is Achill, everything is Irish, everything is genuine and sitting in this wonderful cafe, you realise how rare that feeling is.
The Beehive Craft and Coffee Shop
To then just take the piss the Beehive Cafe also has an in-house craft shop selling a wide array of extremely high standard art, crafts, ceramics, textiles and clothing.
Coming to the west of Ireland simply to enjoy lunch here would be well worth the trip š
About the Author
Paul Feeney
Marketer
On a lifelong journey to understand, build and maintain a stable Work-Life Balance.
Related Posts
The Beehive Cafe, Achill Island
The Quintessentially Irish Beehive Craft and Coffee Shop
One could make a very strong case that the Beehive Cafe and Craft Shop on Achill Island is one of the most authentic and uniquely Irish cafes in Ireland.
What boxes need to be ticked to make the perfect cafe?
One box for me, which rarely gets ticked well is the ability to be able to sit outside.
Having coffee, breakfast, or lunch is meant to be a relaxing experience, and nothing makes the experience more relaxing than being able to sit outside.
Whether it be a sunny day or under an awning with rain drizzling around you sitting outside while enjoying a coffee is a beautiful experience.
Most cafes fall at the first hurdle. If a cafe does have outdoor seating, they usually have very few seats, and this few seats will either be
a) Out the back of their cafe so you’re looking at a wall,
or b) At the front of their cafe, so you have a few seats looking at a busy high street.
When it comes to the Beehive Cafe, you have many seats, and you are overlooking a Bay!
Of course, box number 2 which needs to be ticked, is the food and coffee the cafe serves.
You would love your cafe to have an extensive menu using locally sourced and organic ingredients, but in cities, this is a lot to ask for with usually smaller menus of the same overpriced items.
Lots of cafes will fall at this hurdle.
The Beehives standard of cuisine and ingredients is of an insane standard. No reason the Beehive Cafes makes the award-winningĀ Gourmet GreenwayĀ list.
Their meats, cheese, fish, breads and more are all locally sourced on essentially an organic island! nevermind organic food.
Sheep and cows roam the Island of Achill, while fish comes off the boat directly from the pier. Even their seasoning is local and award-winning.
What about alcohol? This is a small box which, again, many cafes can’t tick.
The odd fancy cafe in inner cities may offer you wine or an overpriced bottle of beer, but given that the Beehive is located on the west coast of Ireland and an island! You can enjoy whiskeys, cocktails, beers, pints, or wine, any time of the day with your lunch or coffee.
The decor and furniture of the Beehive Cafe are pure Achill and a beautiful mix of Irish craft and local authenticity.
Everything about the cafe just seems “real”. You sit at real furniture made of real wood surrounded by real Art made by real people. Locally made crafts and ceramics are on display while Irish candles give the cafe a wonderful aroma. Everything is Achill, everything is Irish, everything is genuine and sitting in this wonderful cafe, you realise how rare that feeling is.
The Beehive Craft and Coffee Shop
To then just take the piss the Beehive Cafe also has an in-house craft shop selling a wide array of extremely high standard art, crafts, ceramics, textiles and clothing.
Coming to the west of Ireland simply to enjoy lunch here would be well worth the trip š
About the Author
Paul Feeney
Marketer
On a lifelong journey to understand, build and maintain a stable Work-Life Balance.
Related Posts
Achill Island
The Beehive Cafe, Achill Island
The Quintessentially Irish Beehive Craft and Coffee Shop One could make a very strong case that the Beehive Cafe and Craft Shop on Achill Island is one of the most authentic and uniquely Irish cafes in Ireland. The Beehive Cafe … Read More
Paul Feeney
Featured Post
Achill Island
A Day at Keem Bay, Achill Island
A Day of Ice Cream, Sun Cream & Coffee & Cream at Keem Bay You almost forget where you’re driving to when driving to Keem Bay. Keem Bay at the end of Achill Island You begin to drive slower and … Read More
Paul Feeney
Featured Post
- Welcome to the West! Episode 04, Thais from France! - March 5, 2020
- Welcome to the West! Episode 03. LĆ¼t from Germany! - March 4, 2020
- Welcome to the West! Episode 2: Gigi from Mexico! - March 4, 2020
A Day at Keem Bay, Achill Island
A Day of Ice Cream, Sun Cream & Coffee & Cream at Keem Bay
You almost forget where you’re driving to when driving to Keem Bay.
You begin to drive slower and slower as you make your way along the steep coastal roads which hug the cliffs of Achill Island. You try your best to take in the incredible views of the mountains, cliffs and wild Atlantic ocean spread out before you.
With sharp bends, high cliffs, the expansive ocean and the odd sheep interrupting your view, you could happily drive much further. However, before you know it, you turn a corner and there it is – Keem Bay.Ā
You immediately want to pull in to take in the view. The bay sits sunk into the side of the island with steep hills on all sides.
On the other side of the Bay sits in old World War II looking post keeping watch over the Atlantic Ocean. Excitedly we slowly made our way down the winding roads to the beach. A tricky place to find a car park space, given the popularity of the Bay. People park everywhere and anywhere to not waste any time in getting to the beach.
First things first, we grabbed some ice cream, (99’s), a couple of chips, and some fresh coffee, and made our way to the sand. After a little bit of sunning, we sprinted towards the sea, diving in for a refreshing dip. Of all the beautiful stops along the Wild Atlantic Way of Ireland, Keem Bay must be up there, with it being one of the “wildest” and one of the most “Atlantic”. You feel like it’s nothing but you, the land, and the sea. You sit, relaxing, looking out at the country of Ireland itself. And a soft, gentle reminder you are sitting on an ancient land sinks in.
The air is clean and fresh. The sea is blue. The land is green and lush. The sun is warm. When the coffee’s kicked in, we made our way to the top of the cliffs to find the old World War II looking post. We stood with the sun in our faces, fresh coffees in our hands, looking out over the vast ocean with nothing but America being the next stop. Keem Bay is a must-visit if visiting Westport and the West of Ireland. A beautiful, unspoilt, secluded beach and bay.
- Welcome to the West! Episode 04, Thais from France! - March 5, 2020
- Welcome to the West! Episode 03. LĆ¼t from Germany! - March 4, 2020
- Welcome to the West! Episode 2: Gigi from Mexico! - March 4, 2020
- Welcome to the West! Episode 04, Thais from France! - March 5, 2020
- Welcome to the West! Episode 03. LĆ¼t from Germany! - March 4, 2020
- Welcome to the West! Episode 2: Gigi from Mexico! - March 4, 2020
Leave a comment to help visitors and future travellers :)