When you consider rural development, the connection to hospitality is always there, but it isn’t always obvious. These businesses provide local employment, but we often forget about the other benefits they bring.
The right kind of café or restaurant can revitalise a community. To illustrate this point, consider the effect Grangecon Kitchen, opened by two enterprising best friends Laura McEvoy and Stephanie Myerscough in Co Wicklow, has had on their village. They have put Grangecon on the culinary map, and diners travel from far and wide to enjoy brunch in their yurt-style tent.
Or, think of Beag Café founded by Aoife Power and Andrew Flood in Kilrush, Co Clare, where this time last year – amidst the dismal aftermath of Storm Éowyn – locals flocked to the café to charge phones and find some semblance of normality.
Hospitality professionals love to bang on about how food is the ultimate social connector, but for it to work the way it should – especially in rural areas – the offering needs to be just right.
Operators should understand the needs of their community, but in addition to this, the food, drink and service should be at the top of its game.
One19 Coffee House
In Templemore, Co Tipperary, Paddy Cadell had an idea of what might work for his community when he opened One19 Coffee House in the summer of 2021. Historically a market town, Templemore boasts a large square and expansive town park.
The town is also home to the Garda Síochána Training College. Despite this, in recent decades it might appear as more of a pit-stop between the larger towns of Roscrea and Thurles.
A young entrepreneur, Paddy opened One19 almost as soon as he finished his college exams. He was eager to invest into his hometown – a place where he always envisioned living and working.
“I’ve always loved home,” he tells Irish Country Living. “My plan was to qualify as a solicitor and work in my father’s law practice in Templemore. I never had a desire to move away or move to a big city.
That’s probably down to how much I enjoyed growing up here.
“People on the outside might look at Templemore and think it’s quiet, but when they visit, they’re always pleasantly surprised to see what the town has to offer,” he adds.
“We have an amazing park, state-of-the-art athletic track, a golf course and the Devil’s Bit down the road. It’s a small town, but we have a lot of traffic passing through and some great businesses – some that have been around for a long time, and newer ones which are thriving.”
One19 could be considered one of the town’s newer success stories. While studying law at University College Cork, Paddy spent a lot of time in coffee houses and developed a grá for café culture.
He didn’t have a professional background in hospitality, but his father’s family have long operated cafés, restaurants and pubs (like the Hibernian Inn and the Peppermill Restaurant) in and around nearby Nenagh. You could say he has a genetic predisposition for the industry.
Paddy Cadell making coffee in One19 Coffee House in Templemore, Co Tipperary. \ Odhran Ducie
“There was probably that bit of hospitality in me that I didn’t quite realise,” he admits. “Before we opened, it felt that Templemore needed a casual spot for people to meet. That’s what we tried to provide, with the addition of good coffee and treats.
“This building came up [for sale], and during my final year I just decided to go for it. Within six weeks of finishing my final exams, we opened.”
A self-funded project with the financial help of his family, Paddy started the coffee house off slowly and, over the years, has expanded. The early days saw the One19 as more of a takeaway spot, with a limited menu and minimal seating. Its immediate popularity made Paddy realise he needed to increase his offering.
“Over time, we’ve been adding to the menu, and we’ve expanded the space, as well, into a larger indoor and outdoor seating area. We developed our kitchen and for the past two years we’ve been offering a full sit-down brunch and lunch menu.”
Paddy assumed correctly that Templemore needed a space for casual meet-ups. The park is steps away from One19, and well-loved not just by the town, but the wider region. GAA and soccer pitches are also close by, which means the coffee house has been able to meet the needs of everyone, from those working in local businesses to sport and recreational groups.
“At first, you’re basically guessing that this might work, or people might want this,” Paddy reflects. “Even today, we’re always looking at what we can add, and we make small changes every week. From day one, we were always willing to change as we needed to.
“I’d never worked in a coffee shop or a restaurant, and I’ve developed such a love for it. We have 30 staff members and they’re such a fantastic, dedicated and loyal team – they are incredible to work with.
We’ve a great atmosphere here and while you’re expected to work hard – it can be busy – we always wanted One19 to be a good place to work. I’d recommend the hospitality industry to anyone, even just for a summer job. You work as a team, under management and with others, and you’re dealing with customers. It’s great experience.”
Paddy Cadell outside One19 Coffee House in Templemore, Co Tipperary. \ Odhran Ducie
Rocky road gold
This past year, Paddy’s successes went beyond the town limits as One19 won gold at the 2025 Blas na h’Éireann awards for their rocky road squares. This win was special for many reasons, but especially because the rocky road is Paddy’s mother, Caroline’s recipe and has been a community favourite since long before the café opened its doors.
“Before we opened, anyone I met would have been excited about the café, but the next question was always: ‘Will your mam be stocking her rocky road?’ It would have been what she made if she ever wanted to say thank you or something, and it got a bit of a name for itself in the community. There was no question, it had to be on the menu,” he says, laughing.
“I decided to enter it into the Blas na h’Éireann awards, but we didn’t expect much – and we didn’t really know how the whole thing worked,” he continues.
“But then we got the great news that we were heading to Dingle for the finals. We went down and, again, we had our fingers crossed, but didn’t know what to expect, especially when you’re up against so many producers.
We were thinking that maybe the finals were as far as we’d get. But we were absolutely delighted to bring home the gold; it was such a huge achievement.”
Future growth
Today, on any given day, you’ll find One19 buzzing with locals and visitors, with line-ups out the door during peak times. Paddy and his team have found the right balance for Templemore, with warm hospitality and an on-trend menu of food and drink offerings.
With these initial successes, Paddy is taking what he’s learned and plans to open a second location in Thurles over the next few months.
“Our Thurles location will be a coffee shop like here, with a full brunch menu,” he says. “We’re hoping to open in February or March.
It’s an amazing historic space which has been developed by the Tipperary County Council, so we’re looking forward to getting in and started.”
Ultimately, there are many things Paddy and his team have done right, to bring the right kind of offering to their locality, but to Paddy, the support of the community itself has made all the difference.
“Our customers are brilliant people.
From the people who show up every day from 7.30 in the morning – to our first-time customers, they’re all wonderful to deal with and we’re extremely grateful [for their support].”
Instagram @one19coffeehouse.
When you consider rural development, the connection to hospitality is always there, but it isn’t always obvious. These businesses provide local employment, but we often forget about the other benefits they bring.
The right kind of café or restaurant can revitalise a community. To illustrate this point, consider the effect Grangecon Kitchen, opened by two enterprising best friends Laura McEvoy and Stephanie Myerscough in Co Wicklow, has had on their village. They have put Grangecon on the culinary map, and diners travel from far and wide to enjoy brunch in their yurt-style tent.
Or, think of Beag Café founded by Aoife Power and Andrew Flood in Kilrush, Co Clare, where this time last year – amidst the dismal aftermath of Storm Éowyn – locals flocked to the café to charge phones and find some semblance of normality.
Hospitality professionals love to bang on about how food is the ultimate social connector, but for it to work the way it should – especially in rural areas – the offering needs to be just right.
Operators should understand the needs of their community, but in addition to this, the food, drink and service should be at the top of its game.
One19 Coffee House
In Templemore, Co Tipperary, Paddy Cadell had an idea of what might work for his community when he opened One19 Coffee House in the summer of 2021. Historically a market town, Templemore boasts a large square and expansive town park.
The town is also home to the Garda Síochána Training College. Despite this, in recent decades it might appear as more of a pit-stop between the larger towns of Roscrea and Thurles.
A young entrepreneur, Paddy opened One19 almost as soon as he finished his college exams. He was eager to invest into his hometown – a place where he always envisioned living and working.
“I’ve always loved home,” he tells Irish Country Living. “My plan was to qualify as a solicitor and work in my father’s law practice in Templemore. I never had a desire to move away or move to a big city.
That’s probably down to how much I enjoyed growing up here.
“People on the outside might look at Templemore and think it’s quiet, but when they visit, they’re always pleasantly surprised to see what the town has to offer,” he adds.
“We have an amazing park, state-of-the-art athletic track, a golf course and the Devil’s Bit down the road. It’s a small town, but we have a lot of traffic passing through and some great businesses – some that have been around for a long time, and newer ones which are thriving.”
One19 could be considered one of the town’s newer success stories. While studying law at University College Cork, Paddy spent a lot of time in coffee houses and developed a grá for café culture.
He didn’t have a professional background in hospitality, but his father’s family have long operated cafés, restaurants and pubs (like the Hibernian Inn and the Peppermill Restaurant) in and around nearby Nenagh. You could say he has a genetic predisposition for the industry.
Paddy Cadell making coffee in One19 Coffee House in Templemore, Co Tipperary. \ Odhran Ducie
“There was probably that bit of hospitality in me that I didn’t quite realise,” he admits. “Before we opened, it felt that Templemore needed a casual spot for people to meet. That’s what we tried to provide, with the addition of good coffee and treats.
“This building came up [for sale], and during my final year I just decided to go for it. Within six weeks of finishing my final exams, we opened.”
A self-funded project with the financial help of his family, Paddy started the coffee house off slowly and, over the years, has expanded. The early days saw the One19 as more of a takeaway spot, with a limited menu and minimal seating. Its immediate popularity made Paddy realise he needed to increase his offering.
“Over time, we’ve been adding to the menu, and we’ve expanded the space, as well, into a larger indoor and outdoor seating area. We developed our kitchen and for the past two years we’ve been offering a full sit-down brunch and lunch menu.”
Paddy assumed correctly that Templemore needed a space for casual meet-ups. The park is steps away from One19, and well-loved not just by the town, but the wider region. GAA and soccer pitches are also close by, which means the coffee house has been able to meet the needs of everyone, from those working in local businesses to sport and recreational groups.
“At first, you’re basically guessing that this might work, or people might want this,” Paddy reflects. “Even today, we’re always looking at what we can add, and we make small changes every week. From day one, we were always willing to change as we needed to.
“I’d never worked in a coffee shop or a restaurant, and I’ve developed such a love for it. We have 30 staff members and they’re such a fantastic, dedicated and loyal team – they are incredible to work with.
We’ve a great atmosphere here and while you’re expected to work hard – it can be busy – we always wanted One19 to be a good place to work. I’d recommend the hospitality industry to anyone, even just for a summer job. You work as a team, under management and with others, and you’re dealing with customers. It’s great experience.”
Paddy Cadell outside One19 Coffee House in Templemore, Co Tipperary. \ Odhran Ducie
Rocky road gold
This past year, Paddy’s successes went beyond the town limits as One19 won gold at the 2025 Blas na h’Éireann awards for their rocky road squares. This win was special for many reasons, but especially because the rocky road is Paddy’s mother, Caroline’s recipe and has been a community favourite since long before the café opened its doors.
“Before we opened, anyone I met would have been excited about the café, but the next question was always: ‘Will your mam be stocking her rocky road?’ It would have been what she made if she ever wanted to say thank you or something, and it got a bit of a name for itself in the community. There was no question, it had to be on the menu,” he says, laughing.
“I decided to enter it into the Blas na h’Éireann awards, but we didn’t expect much – and we didn’t really know how the whole thing worked,” he continues.
“But then we got the great news that we were heading to Dingle for the finals. We went down and, again, we had our fingers crossed, but didn’t know what to expect, especially when you’re up against so many producers.
We were thinking that maybe the finals were as far as we’d get. But we were absolutely delighted to bring home the gold; it was such a huge achievement.”
Future growth
Today, on any given day, you’ll find One19 buzzing with locals and visitors, with line-ups out the door during peak times. Paddy and his team have found the right balance for Templemore, with warm hospitality and an on-trend menu of food and drink offerings.
With these initial successes, Paddy is taking what he’s learned and plans to open a second location in Thurles over the next few months.
“Our Thurles location will be a coffee shop like here, with a full brunch menu,” he says. “We’re hoping to open in February or March.
It’s an amazing historic space which has been developed by the Tipperary County Council, so we’re looking forward to getting in and started.”
Ultimately, there are many things Paddy and his team have done right, to bring the right kind of offering to their locality, but to Paddy, the support of the community itself has made all the difference.
“Our customers are brilliant people.
From the people who show up every day from 7.30 in the morning – to our first-time customers, they’re all wonderful to deal with and we’re extremely grateful [for their support].”
Instagram @one19coffeehouse.
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