Irish culture on the menu

A new all-Irish cafe with a difference has opened on Dublin's Dawson Street.e is being Run by Irish language organisation Gael-Linn, the cafe will not only serve food, it will have a classroom and conference facilities.

Tri D will be managed by Nicola Nic Phaidin, a native of Gweedore in Co Donegal. She is not worried about competition from Dail Bia, the Irish-language cafe which opened last year in the basement of the Comhdhail Naisiunta na Gaeilge building on Kildare Street.

"Tri D will be another option," said Ms Nic Phaidin, a graduate of the DCU business studies degree programme. "We will complement each other."

As well as coffee, tea and drinks, other items on the menu will include paninis, warm melts, pastries and sandwiches.

According to Herman O Briain, chief executive of Gael-Linn, the Dawson Street cafe represents "a substantial investment".

Two years ago, Gael-Linn's plan to open an Irish cultural centre in the heart of Dublin's Temple Bar had to be shelved when planning permission was refused by An Bord Pleanala. e in the centre, there was also to be for storytelling, poetry readings and drama.

Number 3 Dawson Street is at the Nassau Street/Trinity College end. Gael-Linn is renting the street-level premises as well as the mews building at the rear. Delta Airlines also has offices in the building.

Tri D occupies a typical narrow shop-front unit, which extends through the building, widening to the rear area at the two-storey mews building on to Dawson Lane.

The cafe space has been redesigned by Edmondson, Cosgrave & Robinson Architects. The ground floor has been refurbished for the cafe and educational space and the two-storey mews now has classrooms and conference on at the first floor level and ancillary facilities at ground level.

Some of the changes to the new Gael-Linn cafe include the removal of the existing shop front, and changing it to a glazed screen with a door.

Natural light is to be brought in e through rooflights and the new shop front.

With seating in the cafe area for 40, "it will be very, very modern," says Ms Nic Phaidin.