Deirdre Reynolds: Ignore the mummy mafia - child-free coffee shops have their place
It seems many mams and dads also have no issue with having to leave the little ones at home from time to time
That's exactly what one café in Tipperary is offering – though not everyone is happy about it.
The Old Barracks Coffee Roastery in Birdhill hit headlines last week for selling what is surely Ireland's most expensive cup of coffee at €15.
But that wasn't what outraged some javaphiles as the artisan roastery's child-free rule also came to light.
Speaking about the adults-only policy on Ireland AM last Wednesday, one female journalist went so far as to describe the 'absolutely horrendous' position as 'anti-woman', with another adding she 'would hate it to become normalised' in Ireland.
Have they heard of Insomnia, Costa, or any of the hundreds of independent coffee shops all over the country where parents with young children are perfectly welcome.
Many of them often look like a Bugaboo warehouse with the amount of prams that are scattered around the place, while some even host parent and baby groups or sell 'babyccinos' designed for kids – and that's completely fine.
From where I'm sitting, and at the risk of incurring the wrath of the mummy mafia, Ireland has too few child-free spaces – not too many.
Based on the replies to the morning TV segment on social media, it seems many mams and dads also have no issue with having to leave the little ones at home from time to time, with one mother saying she'd 'love to go to a child-free place for a cuppa every now and then'.
Another '100pc' agreed: 'I have three kids and if I'm out for the day with friends the last thing you want to look [at]/listen to is someone else's kids'.
While a third viewer added: 'There are many women who might enjoy this space.'
As a childless woman, you could call me biased, but I'm certainly one of them.
And I'd love more business owners here to have the backbone of Alan Andrews, himself a father, who in the face of criticism remained 'unapologetic' about welcoming dogs, but not children, to The Old Barracks, while revealing plans to open another child-free coffee shop in Limerick.
Not for a minute am I suggesting families should be restricted to chains like McDonalds.
Or, indeed, that members of Generation Alpha are any worse behaved than some grown-ups in social settings.
In an age of supposed inclusivity however, that inclusivity should also stretch to the adults who don't necessarily want to have to go to the pub in order to avoid feeling like we've wandered into a creche.
Why, when the most recent census showed a dramatic 11pc increase in the number of families in Ireland without children, should daytime spaces revolve around them?
Corendon Dutch Airlines previously sparked debate after announcing it was taking the trend to new heights by launching an adults-only area on some of its flights, but the very fact that it made news shows just how few and far between such initiatives still are in a world still heavily skewed towards the traditional 'cereal packet' family.
So while it might be a long way to Tipperary, as the storm in a coffee cup settles, it's a journey I'm happy to make.
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Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Brian Dowling and Suzanne Kane have bid farewell to their mid-morning radio gig on Dublin's 98FM. Suzanne stepped into the 98FM scene in 2021, taking the reins from Adrian Kennedy and Jeremy Dixon's Dublin Talks. The year 2023 saw Brian Dowling hopping on board as her co-host. Suzanne, a familiar face from Ireland AM and RTÉ's Today Show, has been off the airwaves since late February. After much rumour and speculation, the broadcaster has now confirmed her departure from the station, reports RSVP Live. On Instagram, she shared: "After nearly 5 years, I'm stepping away from my role presenting 10AM to 1PM on 98FM. Anyone who knows me, will know how much I adore radio and the Bauer family inside Marconi house, but for now, it's time to let the 'Good Times' roll for someone else. "A word to the amazing team, I loved the madness and radio nerdiness that we all shared and how much we cared. Radio is really special and that's because of the people who do the heavy lifting to make it all come together. I'm glad to have been on this rollercoaster with you all. "To everyone who listened to the show. I loved sharing my life and my kids with the soundest listeners on 98FM. We've been through a lot together and thank you for always turning up for me, it means more than any of you will know." Suzanne bid an emotional farewell to her 98FM show, thanking her children and husband for their unwavering support throughout her time on the programme. She said: "Lastly, a quick word to my kiddos Oisín, Hannah and Sadie. "Thank you for letting me have a go of my dream radio job and playing ball every morning, even the really tough ones, so I could be in front of the mic by 10am and of course, [her husband] Joey. The voice of support, the constant, the reassurance, who always has the reminder 'We'll figure it out, we alway do'. Onward to the next adventure." Meanwhile, her co-host revealed that his final show on the station would be on Friday, June 6. Dowling had been hosting the show alongside Leanne Hanafin in Kane's absence. In a statement, Dowling said: "I made the decision earlier in the year that I would not be continuing co-hosting on Brian Dowling and Suzanne Kane on @98fmdublin making this Friday June 6th my very last show on Brian Dowling and Suzanne Kane." He reflected on his time on the show, saying: "When I joined Suzanne back in March of 2023, I had ZERO radio hosting skills. Blake was only 6 months old and baby Blu was only a twinkle in our eyes." Dowling added that it took him some time to adjust to his new role but ultimately had an incredible experience. "It took me a minute to get into my new groove, but when I did, WOW, I honestly have had the best time and have genuinely laughed every day; even on those bad days, being part of this show ALWAYS puts a smile on my face." He concluded by saying, "Here we are now 2 years and 3 months later and I'm still laughing and smiling. I have learned so much about an industry I've been in for nearly 24 years, presenting mainly television shows but now my love for radio easily equals my love for telly. "A MASSIVE HEARTFELT. Thank you to the team, Russell and Cathal. You guys make the show what it is, and especially to you, Pat Gill, for making this experience UTTERLY JOYFUL for me. Also, to you, James Brownlow, thanks for taking the risk on me. "It has never ever felt like work; I mean, how could it when I'm playing the likes of Britney, S Club and JLO, to name but a few. I am so looking forward to a slower Summer; I'm not actually sure if I can operate on a slower pace. "Normality will continue on Six and of course, shooting the rest of The Salvage Squad this summer, as well as some trips away I've planned; in fact, it's turning out to be a very memorable Summer. "The BIGGEST THANK YOU goes to our listeners; you guys are the best, as you have kept me company 5 days a week for the last 2 years and 3 months. Your daily messages have brightened my days from 10am - 1pm. "Goodbyes are not something I'm very good at, but this doesn't feel like a goodbye at all; it's more of a talk to you later. This is Brian Dowling and you are listening to 98FM." Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Sunday World
09-05-2025
- Sunday World
Deirdre Reynolds: Ignore the mummy mafia - child-free coffee shops have their place
It seems many mams and dads also have no issue with having to leave the little ones at home from time to time That's exactly what one café in Tipperary is offering – though not everyone is happy about it. The Old Barracks Coffee Roastery in Birdhill hit headlines last week for selling what is surely Ireland's most expensive cup of coffee at €15. But that wasn't what outraged some javaphiles as the artisan roastery's child-free rule also came to light. Speaking about the adults-only policy on Ireland AM last Wednesday, one female journalist went so far as to describe the 'absolutely horrendous' position as 'anti-woman', with another adding she 'would hate it to become normalised' in Ireland. Have they heard of Insomnia, Costa, or any of the hundreds of independent coffee shops all over the country where parents with young children are perfectly welcome. Many of them often look like a Bugaboo warehouse with the amount of prams that are scattered around the place, while some even host parent and baby groups or sell 'babyccinos' designed for kids – and that's completely fine. From where I'm sitting, and at the risk of incurring the wrath of the mummy mafia, Ireland has too few child-free spaces – not too many. Based on the replies to the morning TV segment on social media, it seems many mams and dads also have no issue with having to leave the little ones at home from time to time, with one mother saying she'd 'love to go to a child-free place for a cuppa every now and then'. Another '100pc' agreed: 'I have three kids and if I'm out for the day with friends the last thing you want to look [at]/listen to is someone else's kids'. While a third viewer added: 'There are many women who might enjoy this space.' As a childless woman, you could call me biased, but I'm certainly one of them. And I'd love more business owners here to have the backbone of Alan Andrews, himself a father, who in the face of criticism remained 'unapologetic' about welcoming dogs, but not children, to The Old Barracks, while revealing plans to open another child-free coffee shop in Limerick. Not for a minute am I suggesting families should be restricted to chains like McDonalds. Or, indeed, that members of Generation Alpha are any worse behaved than some grown-ups in social settings. In an age of supposed inclusivity however, that inclusivity should also stretch to the adults who don't necessarily want to have to go to the pub in order to avoid feeling like we've wandered into a creche. Why, when the most recent census showed a dramatic 11pc increase in the number of families in Ireland without children, should daytime spaces revolve around them? Corendon Dutch Airlines previously sparked debate after announcing it was taking the trend to new heights by launching an adults-only area on some of its flights, but the very fact that it made news shows just how few and far between such initiatives still are in a world still heavily skewed towards the traditional 'cereal packet' family. So while it might be a long way to Tipperary, as the storm in a coffee cup settles, it's a journey I'm happy to make.
Irish Examiner
01-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Child-free cafés would force new mums back into isolation of home
Hipster coffee shops are 10 a penny these days and it must be getting harder and harder to find a unique selling point. Step forward, Birdhill's Old Barracks Coffee Roastery, with a child-free policy that's been around since the beginning, but made it into the headlines again this week. The Old Barracks Coffee Roastery in Birdhill has caused a splash with its offering of a "child-free experience" to customers. No, that's not "your child goes free". Children aren't allowed on the premises, unless accompanying an adult getting a takeaway coffee. Dogs, incidentally, are welcome. Make of that what you will. I have some skin in this game. I'm a mum of two, and before having my eldest child three years ago I rarely patronised cafés, usually too busy with work or, quite frankly, the pub. When I had my son, however, my local coffee shops suddenly became some of the most welcoming spaces for us and our cumbersome buggy. I looked forward to having a little sit-down with my mocha, not to mention the opportunity to breastfeed in a more comfortable surrounding than a public loo. One thing that really struck me about cafés, when I first became a regular, was how diverse their client base was during the week. Parents (usually mums) like me, retirees, people with learning disabilities, students on their break, immigrants - cafés are a real microcosm of society. Sipping my hot drink, away from the homogeneity of the office, I felt part of a community for the first time in my adult life. I'm not dismissive of all child-free spaces. I wouldn't bring my toddler to a nightclub. An evening cinema screening wouldn't be the optimal environment for my eight-month-old. I don't expect to see young kids in certain public places, and I would be surprised if I did. Cafés, however, much like libraries and shopping malls, are for everyone these days. Perhaps the Old Barracks is attempting to recreate the environment of a traditional Viennese coffee house, where customers nursed a cup for hours as they read newspapers and debated key topics of the day. The coffee in these institutions was typically cheap, incidentally – a tradition that is apparently not being honoured in this modern interpretation. Of course, Viennese coffee shops were fairly exclusive establishments, generally the pursuit of male members of the Austrian literary set. Women weren't allowed into them until the mid-19th century, and let's face it, if 19th century women were spending their time in coffee houses, then they probably didn't have children to look after at home. So, child-free cafés have been done before, but in a time when society preferred children to be seen and not heard. Personally, I prefer modern-day attitudes, and modern-day coffee shops. Of course, nobody is saying that children should be banned from all cafés (not out loud, at least), but the fact that an establishment can openly declare that an entire sub-section of society is unwelcome and be met with applause by some, is concerning. The argument that children are loud and disruptive is a blanket statement that wouldn't, and shouldn't, be applied to any other group - so why are kids fair game? I'm not saying, incidentally, that children should be allowed to run wild in public - they absolutely shouldn't, but a huge part of teaching them that they need to behave in certain ways in certain environments is exposing them to these environments. How will kids ever know how to order a latte if they've never experienced a babycino? More seriously, how will they understand how to have respect for people around them in a community setting if this behaviour isn't modelled for them by their parents in public? There's an elephant in this coffee shop (which would probably be preferable to a child in some people's view). As I look around my local haunt, I notice something. At weekends, there are dads aplenty, enjoying a low-key family outing (we can't all afford weekly trips to soft play centres, and Ireland doesn't always have the weather for the playground!), but during the week, the vast majority of parents out with their babies and preschool children are, surprise surprise, mothers. Margaret Donnellan: Children are people too and they belong in public spaces. For anyone arguing that they shouldn't, I would suggest that they replace "children" with any other vulnerable population and see how they feel.' Early motherhood can be an isolating experience at the best of times - mums are finding their feet emotionally and often physically, navigating our exciting but often daunting new worlds on little sleep - with cafés, as I've mentioned, often becoming safe, familiar spaces that bridge our old lives with the new. If we're banning children, let's not forget who else we are excluding, too. The child-free movement has become increasingly vocal in Ireland and elsewhere in recent years. It is an interesting phenomenon. Of course, anybody should have the right to not have children, that's non-negotiable. But do people have the right to avoid children in general? Of course not. Children are people too and they belong in public spaces. For anyone arguing that they shouldn't, I would suggest that they replace "children" with any other vulnerable population and see how they feel.
