The Irish Coffee Festival

This is a favorite time of year for Ireland. The summer months bring festivals and activities throughout the little towns in the countryside. One of our favorite festivals occurs this week in Foynes, county Limerick. Foynes is the home of Irish Coffee. It was here that the famous Pan Am Flying Boats used to land on their way to and from America. This is a particularly romantic era in the history of flight. Imagine dining at tables, relaxing in lounges and then retiring to your sleeping compartment as you cross the Atlantic, a level of luxury we don’t see today. Upon touching down on the river Shannon in Ireland, the passengers had to disembark, usually into a cold and misty outdoor terminal.

A clever chef at the airport terminal decided the passengers needed a bit of warming up beyond what regular coffee could give, and voila, Irish Coffee was born. That was over 60 years ago. And every year in Foynes they celebrate this delicious creation of Joe Sheridan at the Irish Coffee Festival. The festival kicks off on Friday July 15th and runs through Sunday the 17th . People come from around the world to compete in the Irish Coffee Championship with the winner selected on Saturday afternoon by an esteemed panel of judges.

In addition there will be music, dancing, parades, exhibits and an appearance by the most famous patron of the Flying Boat Museum, the actress Maureen O’Hara. The heart of the festival is the Flying Boat Museum in Foynes which is the old terminal for the Flying Boats back in the late 30’s and 40’s.

For those interested in enjoying Ireland the way the locals do, this is the perfect festival. There are many other sights to enjoy in the lower Shannon area as well. There is the pretty and colorful village of Adare, the Bunratty Castle and folk park, King John’s Castle in Limerick, the spectacular scenery at the Cliffs of Moher, the ruins at the Rock of Cashel, and the friendly people in the pubs and restaurants all along the river Shannon.

So if you find yourself in Ireland this week head to Foynes and enjoy an Irish coffee or two while you bask in all that is Irish!