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Interview With Moher Cottage, Cliffs of Moher

Support Small Business

So its finally here the first in the our series, supporting small businesses. A drive we decided to start in 2022 to highlight and promote small businesses we have found on our travels. These travels have taken us from little places like Tamborine Mountain Australia to the back streets Hong Kong to the wild Atlantic Way and the Cliffs of Moher.

We love finding these small independent businessess when we are away, and we love giving back to the local communities and to do our bit to keep theses great businesses going.

And what a great start we have today, the fantastic Moher Cottage in Liscannor is just moments away from the legendary Cliffs of Moher. A little converted coffee and gift shop selling good quality Irish made gifts, great coffee and homemade fudge .

About Moher Cottage

We had intended to write a little about us section for Moher Cottage, however there website included this little clip on there business and what a great way to learn about the business seeing them in person.

With the introductions over its time to get on with the interview. Its at this point we would like to thank Kevin and Caitriona for there time and taking part.

Here we have the interview below.

The Questions

Background

1.Firstly tell us a bit about yourselves, your backgrounds?

We Kevin and Caitriona live and work in Liscannor on the Wild Atlantic Way beside the Cliffs of Moher. Kevin grew up here and is a 6th generation farmer and I, Caitriona, am orinally from Galway moving here in 2010 when Kevin and I met.

I used to work in a number of senior corporate roles that brought me around the world before deciding to say goodbye to that life and follow my entrepreneurial dream with Kevin and set up Moher Cottage nearly 5 years ago now

Dave and Caitriona from Moher Cottage
Catriona and Kevin Considine at Moher Cottage. Photograph by Eamon Ward

2..What prompted you to open Moher Cottage, when did you open?

The dream really was to work where we live , I spent years commuting to work and leaving this gorgeous corner of Co.Clare at sunrise and returning often in the dark. It began to take its toll and I realised I was missing out on a fabulous life and community here in lovely Liscannor.  

Now since the pandemic there are a lot more options here for remote working which is fabulous but those options were not really there for me back then so I knew if I wanted to make it happen I had to create a job for myself so that is where the idea stemmed from

3.The cottage itself is stunning, what was it like before transforming it?

Moher Cottage was previously two farm buildings, a cow cabin and a pigsty on our farm. The stone building was the cow cabin and  about 150 years old and the pigsty about 80 years old so they were as you can imagine fairly rustic J But the cows and pigs had the most amazing views which didn’t go unnoticed by us !

Moher Cottage near the Cliffs of Moher
The two converted buildings at Moher Cottage

4.The view is worth it’s weight in gold. Was that part of the reason for the business?

The view was a big part of it as it’s a spectacular setting and there are very few spots on the entire Wild Atlantic Way to soak up a view like it while enjoying a coffee or a browse. From the beginning we wanted the outdoor terrace so visitors could slow down, take 5 and soak it all in. Especially visitors driving the Wild Atlantic Way and visiting the Cliffs of Moher, they really appreciate that time out just to be. The landscape around us really gives you that space to breathe and I find you really do get a renewed energy from taking the time to enjoy it.

We often see visitors come in for a coffee to go, or a browse and then when they see the terrace and the view they will decide to take a break here and enjoy the setting, we love that spur of the moment, change of mind to just relax here.

View from Moher Cottage
The view from the terrace at Moher Cottage

The Coffee Shop

5.Tell us about your fudge; flavours, where it is made?

We make our own fudge in store and also have lots of locally baked cakes , all a perfect sweet treat to enjoy with a lovely coffee

Every week the fudge flavours change so itd always a nice surprise to see what’s in. There’s plenty of choice too as we usually have 8/10 flavours in store

6.With the fudge in mind, I see you have national and international delivery. What is the shelf life on the product?

Yes we ship globally with our gifts too from our online store at: mohercottage.com – fudge is good for approx 6 / 8 weeks and is an ambient product so ships perfectly

7.The coffee was great; well textured, perfect temperature – was coffee always a passion of yours?.

Yes, I adore coffee and coffee shops. After years travelling all over the world for work I loved discovering the local independent coffee shops in whatever city I was working in. Having spent over a year working in Melbourne, I was spoiled for choice and really wanted to bring that same great experience to Co.Clare

The Shop

8.The shop is great and you have an incredible selection of unique gifts. I personally love the socks, but what’s your best seller?

Our Moher Cottage socks, made for us by Irish Socksciety in Galway, are a big favourite for sure and we get great feedback on our range of Irish made gifts. We are very proud to curate a unique contemporary range of gifts for both the local and visitor to the area.

We have huge admiration for all the talented designers and makers we have in store, a lot of them are women from all over rural Ireland so we love that we can support them. My own photography gifts also sell very well in store and online as is very local to here in north Clare so people appreciate it.

Pandemic

9.How have you negotiated a couple of tough years with lockdowns and restrictions?

It has been a challenging couple of years for everyone including those in business. We were fortunate to already have our online store before the pandemic so it was straightforward for us to continue operating online  when Ireland went into lockdown. Thankfully then being based in lovely Liscannor, when lockdowns were lifted Irish people were keen to visit the area from all over. Both locals and Irish people on their staycation were amazing to support us which we will always be grateful for.

10.With a hopeful light at the end of the tunnel for this pandemic, what’s the summer looking like for Moher Cottage?

We are so looking forward to this summer, hearing of many Irish people returning to visit us this summer but also so many visitors from overseas are telling me of their plans to get here this year so hopefully it will be a summer everyone can relax and really enjoy life and the best of summers vacations in Co.Clare

Finally

11. For you, what is the best thing about living on the Wild Atlantic Way and why should our readers make the trip West?

The best thing about living on the Wild Atlantic Way is the quality of life having such amazing scenery here on your doorstep with just a short stroll to the coast. The sometimes wild, but always fresh air by the coast, as we walk the dog at any time of the year, is my true happy place.

There is so much to do too, we live in a great community with sport, amazing music and arts surrounding us here in Liscannor. With surfing, hiking and sea swimming all around too, there really is something for everyone in the family.

Summary

I think you would agree Moher Cottage is a great small business, doing great things. We love seeing the Irish made gifts on the shelves and with the great coffee shop and homemade fudge they really represent a great Independent business.

Thanks for taking time to read below is all the business details and also there socials don’t forget to give them a follow and be certain to visit when in the Cliffs of Moher area.

Location

Located 5 minutes from the Cliffs Of Moher, in the area of Liscannor.

Moher Cottage Details

Address: St. Brigid’s Well, Cliffs of Moher, Liscannor, Co. Clare

Website: mohercottage.com

Phone Number: +353 87 295 9096

Email: caitriona@mohercottage.com

Opening Hours

Closed for the off season January and February, however will return recharged in March to kick start the season.

In Season Monday to Sunday 10am 5pm

Follow There Socials

A few Other Noteworthy Businesses In The Area

We spent a fair few days in this area and found a few noteworthy small businesses which you might like, check them out below.

And Finally

Moher Cottage was a find whilst on a road trip from Roscommon to Doolin. A journey we took whilst visiting many place places along the way, you can find out all about it in our Cliffs of Moher post.

Moher Cottage is also in our post of the best coffee shops in Ireland. View the great list right here

By chalkandcheesetravels

We are adventure seekers who love to explore the world. So one day, we decided to write about it here is our story so far

21 replies on “Interview With Moher Cottage, Cliffs of Moher”

Very interesting read, the view from the cottage is lovely too!

Looking forward to further posts in the series

What a lovely idea showcasing local businesses like this! Whenever I get the chance to visit Ireland, I’ll come by for some coffee, fudge and that view!

What a lovely little shop! This small businesses interview series sounds like a great idea. I hope to get to the Cliffs of Moher on my next trip to Ireland so I’m definitely adding Moher Cottage to the itinerary. Thanks for the tip!

This is a great project for a travel blogger – and what a lovely business to get you started. I am a fudge fiend and need to find some of that fudge! Would definitely search out this cafe if I was anywhere in the area.

What a great idea to support local businesses! The cottage looks lovely and I would definitely make a stop there if travelling in the region!

What a great concept for a series to highlight and promote small businesses found on your travels! Moher Cottage looks and sounds awesome!

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