In 1942, Brendan O'Regan opened a restaurant and coffee shop in the Foynes terminal building and employed a Chef named Joe Sheridan. It was not long before Joe realised that the passengers coming to wait in the terminal in cold and rainy weather needed something to make the coffee a bit stronger. Thus, Irish Coffee was born.

Foynes continues to celebrate this wonderful drink throughout the year and in many summer festivals. In 2002, the 60th anniversary of Irish Coffee, a very special Irish Coffee Festival was held, that being also a significant birthday for our primary patron, Maureen O'Hara Blair. The picture on the right is of Maureen and our staff taken during that event. (Left to Right: Joan Maher, Maureen O'Hara Blair, Martina Nicholson and Helen Enright.)