Meet the workers keeping our childhood summer memories alive

From the local ice-cream parlour to ‘The Merries’, and a new addition - the Covid coffee van, here are some of the people keeping our Irish summer traditions alive

Sylvia Piper runs Piper's Funfair and Amusements, known locally as “The Merries" in Crosshaven, Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan.

The ice cream parlour

Sundays of Kinsale

Alex and  Sarah O'Hourihane getting the ice creams from Emma O'Brien at Sundays. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Sundays was Kinsale’s first ice cream parlour in 2009 and came about when owner Clare Atkinson was looking at what she felt the town really needed following an economic downturn. 

“I came up with the idea of ice cream and shakes because the location was great; Kinsale is a wonderful place, very touristy. I’ve been there for 12 years now and I’m really proud of it. Funnily enough, when I started, I didn’t think too much about the kids in the area — and they’ve become my best customers,” she says. “It doesn’t take much to make kids happy and seeing their faces light up when they have theirs is one of the best things about it.”

Her humble ice cream is anything but humble (and there’s more than that on the menu, from waffles to brownies), but as she explains, some tricks of the trade were learned as she went along. “It was a learning curve. And we made quite a few mistakes. And I think the one thing I remember is when I first opened, people weren’t so educated with scoop ice cream. 

"We all love a 99, but honestly, they’re not great. The milk can stay in the container for months so it’s full of additives and preservatives. Whereas the scoop ice cream is a different ballgame. It has a very short shelf life. And I’ve noticed as time has gone on, people realise that it is a better product for their kids.”

As to the enduring appeal of ice cream, Clare says it goes back to Irish traditions. “The reason I called it Sundays was because when I was growing up, Sunday was always a family day. When everything was closed and you put on your best clothes and you went out and you had fish and chips in paper and then you had an ice cream. And when the market shifted and things were very hard, I just thought, ‘you know, Sunday: It’s a family day. It’s a treat day. People go to the beach and bring their kids for an ice cream — and we still need that’.”

The 'bucket and spade' shop

Angela’s Shop in Fountainstown

Sisters Kathleen Quinn, Anne Marie O'Connell and Angela Cantwell enjoying ice cream at Angela's Coffee dock in Fountainstown. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Angela Cantwell and her shop are two of the most well-known things in Fountainstown. “We took over the shop in 1989: bought it on a Tuesday and opened it on the Saturday. I was raising my four children single-handedly and it was an adventure that we never knew would carry on for 32 years,” she says.

It’s the family nature of the shop that has endured, something Angela always wanted to keep front and centre. “Over the years, all my children worked in the shop and my nieces and nephews were also happy to join in with the family-orientated service we have kept going till the present day. My favourite thing about running the shop is the sense of independence and social life attached to the hundreds of friends/customers we have met over the past decades,” Angela continues.

“I’ve watched their children having children and on most occasions made sure they got their first bucket and shovel and even their first taste of my famous ice cream wafers with thousands of bee stings tended to, a few near-drownings and many choking situations averted by my Heimlich manoeuvres!” 

Her shop is a staple and synonymous with traditional family holidays, and she has made sure it has remained so throughout the years. “I’ve made sure the shop has never changed in keeping with those precious family holidays and days out spent in Fountainstown with the beautiful coastal walks and beaches — we make up a traditional day out for young and old.”

And in terms of surprises? “What has surprised me most is that I’m still here... strong, alive and still cutting my beautiful wafer ice creams!”

The 'merries'

Pipers Funfair of Crosshaven

Sylvia Piper at Piper's Funfair and Amusements, known locally as 'The Merries' in Crosshaven, Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan

Sylvia Piper has been working at ‘the merries’ in Crosshaven for more than 30 years - since she was 16 years old.

“The family is heavily involved with the business. We have three daughters who have all grown up working with us — now they take on slightly different roles,” she explains.

“Hollie, our eldest, handles our marketing, Phoebe manages our ice cream shop and our youngest, Darcy, still works with us in the merries, and we are lucky enough to have brother-in-laws, nephews, and nieces who have all taken an interest in working with us too.”

And her favourite things about the merries is, and always has been, the people and the staff they have working with them. “We firmly believe that we have the best customers in the world; they have always been so supportive of us. Most of our staff join us at a young age and stay with us for a couple of years. It’s so rewarding to see them develop as young adults and we have so many kids return saying that working in the merries were the best years of their lives.”

The merries is an Irish destination steeped in tradition, something Sylvia says is hugely important as it gets passed down through generations. 

“There is a lot of history that comes with the merries, and for so many families visiting us during the summer, it has become a tradition. Many memories have been made with us and people want to pass this down to their kids and give them the same experience. With so many updates and changes in society, the merries have stayed relatively the same so it’s always a bit of a blast from the past for anyone who visits. 

"We have seen so many people pass through our gates and the same faces return to support us each year, and even now, one of the remarkable things is seeing kids that used to go on their rides, now grown up and bringing their own kids, it’s a very rewarding process.”

The chipper

The Little Saltee Chipper in Wexford

The Little Saltee Chipper is a Kilmore staple.

Michelle Cullen has been running The Little Saltee Chipper in Wexford for the past 14 years, and it is now, happily something she says is a staple in Crossfarnoge in Kilmore. Fish and chips as a treat is something many of us remember and even now during the summer days, the same holds true. And the restaurant’s strong ties to fresh, local produce is, she says, what makes it so special.

“It’s the whole environment we love — being busy and the buzz that comes with that. And it’s just nice to see tourists come in because we’re in a tiny little place but everything is locally sourced, our potatoes are local, our fish comes straight in off the boats and all our staff are local. It’s hard work but great. It also means we can vary the menu and give people choices based on the fish we get that particular day.”

It is a destination that shouts summer, and Michelle says she tries to give customers a little slice of that each time they visit. “Our building is blue — and myself and my partner, we’ve always loved going to Greece, Cyprus, real sunny, holiday destinations and we want to offer people some of that when they come down.” It’s the support they get from their repeat customers that really makes the running of it really special. 

“I would say the support that we get from all our regulars. People returning year after year, saying ‘we were here last summer, we couldn’t wait to come down.’ It’s really nice to hear, that makes it special for us. We know a lot of our customers, and that is what keeps us going and keeps the standards high. We’re traditional and we try to offer everything homemade so that it tastes as good as it did the year before.”

The coffee van

Bambi & Bean in Ramelton, Donegal

The coffee truck is a new summer tradition.

The coffee truck, especially since Covid, is set to take its place as a new Irish summer staple. Setting up a business in a pandemic is no easy feat, but this is exactly what Matthew, founder of Bambi & Bean, decided to do when he realised there was a distinct lack of coffee vans (the concept of which surged during Covid) in his area. At the moment, he is studying in college and running the business seven days a week.

“I was always really into coffee,” he explains. “I always wanted to go into specialty coffee. I didn’t even think about going into anything in business, but I had such a huge interest in the concept of coffee. And I thought I could have this as a project during the pandemic when there’s not much happening in Donegal.”

Trained as a barista at 16 in The Counter in Letterkenny, he has used his training to put his own stamp on what makes brilliant coffee, even on the go. Matthew says he took inspiration from local coffee houses in London and Paris to bring his concept to fruition.

As to what makes it stand out, he says everything about it from its inception to social media following was casual and organic —something that instantly resonated with locals. “Everything is informal, right down to the marketing on social media. People come by for a coffee and a chat — a lot of people said they really enjoy following the journey on Instagram, for example. So, it’s more about that, rather than just saying what’s on the menu.”

But there is rather a lot on the menu from coffees to homemade bakes and vegan options — some of which are sourced from local businesses. He says his is a specialty coffee cart that is friendly and a little bit quirky, things which he feels keeps customers coming back.

The surf shop

The Surf Shack in Wexford

You can seek adventure at any age at The Surf Shack

Another new addition to ‘The Great Irish Summer’ is the surf shop. The Surf Shack, located at Curracloe Beach, Co.Wexford, is one such place for those seeking adventure on the water — regardless of age or experience.

“The Shack was started with the idea of showing the local kids in Curracloe what they had on their doorstep,” explains owner Jack-Tim Murphy. “It’s all about fun and introducing people to the sea and the great activities you can do there. We take anyone out on our lessons from age six no matter your ability.

“Myself and my wife Alice have been running The Shack since 2013. Every year it grows a little bit and we add some fun new activities or expand the shop or start teaching surfing in a new location. My favourite bit about running it is being able to work with your friends, enjoying every second of your work day. All of the staff are friends that Alice and myself have met on our travels. This brings a great diversity of characters and experience to the business.”

In terms of what makes it so popular for Irish people in the summer time, he says the weather and safety means it’s hugely appealing to visitors.

“The weather is exceptional, especially in Curracloe. It just rarely seems to rain even when it is forecast. The sea is also very safe to swim in on the east coast which allows a lot of people to access and enjoy it, and we offer a really fun introduction to surfing no matter your age or ability. It’s all about the craic and trying something new.”