Chef and café-owner, Diarmuid Ó Mathúna writes about his experience of being a 'blow-in' in a Gaeltacht region and building a successful business run through Irish.
Tá POTA Café, a osclaíodh níos lú ná bliain ó shin, ar cheann den 100 bialann is fearr sa tír de réir liosta a foilsíodh an tseachtain seo.
Bhí ríméad ar fhoireann POTA Café Dé Domhnaigh seo caite, an 3 Aibreán, nuair a luadh an caifé Gaeltachta sin i measc an 100 bialann is fearr in Éirinn. Is í Lucinda O'Sullivan, léirmheastóir cáiliúil a bhfuil taithí na mblianta aici mar mholtóir ar ghradaim bialann, a chuir liosta an Sunday Independent i dtoll a chéile, agus í dírithe go háirithe ar bhialanna a bhfuil an 'pacáiste iomlán’ acu: atmaisféar, éiteas, seirbhís, ardchaighdeán bia agus freastal dílis ar chustaiméirí agus ar an bpobal.
Agus critéir O’Sullivan leagtha amach ar an gcaoi sin, ní haon iontas é gur tharraing POTA Café a haird an chéad lá. "Pobal, inmharthanacht agus ardchaighdeán - sin iad na bunchlocha ar a bhfuil POTA tógtha," a deir Diarmuid Ó Mathúna, úinéir an chaifé. "An chúis ar thug muid POTA ar an gcaifé an chéad lá ná gur breá linn an íomhá de phobal a bheith tarraingthe le chéile thart timpeall ar phota mór bia, sult á bhaint acu as comhluadar a chéile agus scéalta, smaointe - agus bia, ar ndóigh - á roinnt go flúirseach. Bhí muid ag iarraidh spás fáiltiúil, compordach a chur ar fáil dár gcustaiméirí, agus tacú leis an bpobal láidir, bríomhar atá anseo i gConamara Theas."
Idir Céibh Ros a’ Mhíl agus Oileáin Árann a bheith ar leic an dorais agus an borradh atá faoin gceardaíocht bhia sa cheantar le blianta beaga anuas, is beag dua a bhaineann le biachlár an chaifé a chur le chéile gach seachtain. Tagann sailéid agus glasraí úra ón nGarraí Glas trasna an bhóthair, scoth na feola ó Bhúistéirí Uí Fheinneadha sa Spidéal, iasc úr ó Ros a’ Mhíl agus cáis ghabhair, sliogéisc agus feamainn ar chaighdeán idirnáisiúnta ó Oileáin Árann. "Murach na táirgeoirí sin atá ag treabhadh an ghoirt," a deir Diarmuid, "ní bheadh an gradam seo bainte amach ag an gcaifé s’againne."
Éist anseo le Diarmuid ar an gclár Bladhaire ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
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Tá an Ghaeilge lárnach san áit. "Ón gcéad lá, níor fhostaigh muid ach cainteoirí líofa Gaeilge," a deir Diarmuid. "Tá dea-thionchar an pholasaí sin an-soiléir nuair a shiúlann tú isteach san áit. Tá an Ghaeilge le cloisteáil i measc na gcustaiméirí, ar cainteoirí dúchais áitiúla cuid mhór acu. Tá sí le cloisteáil i measc na foirne freastail agus tá sí le cloisteáil amach as an gcistin oscailte agus na cócairí ag scairteadh ‘ordú réitithe’ amach go breá muiníneach. Go dtí go gcuirtear spásanna sóisialta pobail mar seo ar fáil, tá sé deacair an tábhacht a bhaineann leo a mheas agus an ról lárnach a ghlacann siad i dtreisiú na teanga a thuar, ach feictear domsa go mba chóir dóibh a bheith mar chuid de straitéis ar bith pleanála teanga má táimid ag iarraidh an teanga a bheith úsáidte go laethúil i measc an phobail."
Tá an caifé lonnaithe thíos staighre san fhoirgneamh álainn ceann tuí béal dorais le TG4 i mBaile na hAbhann ar tugadh Tigh Johnny Sheáin air tráth. An comhlacht léiriúcháin drámaíochta agus teilifíse Fíbín a rinne an foirgneamh a athchóiriú, agus ainneoin go bhfuil cuma thraidisiúnta air ar an taobh amuigh tá leagan amach snasta, comhaimseartha ar an taobh istigh. Tá neart spáis timpeall an fhoirgnimh le hithe taobh amuigh agus níl romhat ach siúlóid ghairid más mian leat cuairt a thabhairt ar thrá ghleoite na Tulaí. Áit iontach le haghaidh picnic!
Bíonn an caifé ar oscailt Céadaoin - Domhnach, 9am - 4pm. Tá tuilleadh eolais ar www.pota.com. Roinneann Diarmuid oideas uair sa mhí ar Bladhaire ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.
POTA Café named among the top 100 restaurants in Ireland
POTA Café, which opened less than a year ago, has been named as one of the 100 best restaurants in the country by acclaimed food critic Lucinda O’Sullivan in her star-studded list published this week in the Sunday Independent.
"I don’t judge restaurants merely by the artwork on a plate." says Lucinda O’Sullivan, who has sat on such esteemed panels as the 50 Best Restaurants in the World. "For me it has to be more than that, it’s the whole package - atmosphere, attitude, good food, service, and how they serve their customers and community through thick and thin."
Small wonder then that POTA caught her eye. "Community, sustainability and quality are the foundations on which we have built POTA" says Diarmuid Ó Mathúna, owner of the new café based in the heart of the Conamara Gaeltacht. "We called it POTA, the Irish for pot, because we love the idea of bringing a community together around a big pot of good wholesome food." says Diarmuid. "Magical things happen when people come together to eat. Not only is food shared, but so are stories, ideas and dreams. We wanted to create a welcoming, comfortable space for our customers and to support the vibrant community here in South Conamara."
With Ros an Mhíl Harbour and the Aran Islands on the doorstep and a burgeoning artisan food producer scene all around it, the menu almost writes itself. We get fresh salads growing in An Garraí Glas across the road, the best of butchery from Feeney’s in an Spidéal, fresh seafood from Ros an Mhíl and world class goat’s cheese, seafood and seaweed from the Aran Islands, "Without these amazing producers pushing the boundaries every day, there’s no way we’d have gotten this accolade." says Diarmuid.
"The Irish Language is central to the place. From day one we’ve employed only fluent Irish speakers. The positive impact of that approach can be felt as soon as you walk in the door. You can hear Irish being spoken amongst the customers, many of whom are native speakers. You can hear it from the floor staff and you can hear it coming from the kitchen as the chefs shout with confidence "ordú réitithe (order ready)". Until places like this are established, it’s hard to measure just how important they are from a socio-linguistic perspective and to predict the central role they play in the strengthening of the language, but as far as I’m concerned they should be a part of every language planning strategy in the future if we want to see Irish used daily in the community."
The café occupies the ground floor of the beautiful thatched building once known as Tigh Johnny Sheáin in Baile na hAbhann, next to TG4. Refurbished by TV and Theatre production company Fíbín, the traditional looking exterior now boasts a contemporary feel inside and lots of room for outdoor dining. A short walk behind the café brings you to a real hidden gem of a beach. A great place for a POTA picnic!
Faoi Dhiarmuid
Is as Corcaigh ó dhúchas do Dhiarmuid, áit ar fhás sé aníos i dteach tábhairne beag tuaithe; ní ón ngaoth a fuair sé a shuim san fháilteachas, mar sin. Thosaigh sé ag obair mar chócaire nuair a chas a dheirfiúr agus a dheartháir céile seantábhairne na muintire isteach ina bhialann - bialann a bhfuil roinnt mhaith gradam bainte anois aici. Bhí Diarmuid paiseanta riamh faoin nGaeilge agus mheas sé gurbh fhiú dó an dá mhórspéis sin aige a phósadh agus spás a chur ar fáil ina bhféadfadh an teanga bláthú. Cuireadh oiliúint air i Scoil Chócaireachta Ballymaloe, áit iontach do dhuine ar bith atá paiseanta faoi ardchaighdeán bia agus faoin inmharthanacht.
About Diarmuid
Diarmuid, a blow in from Cork, grew up in a small rural pub so hospitality runs deep in his veins. He started chefing when his sister and brother-in-law turned the family bar into a now award-winning gastro-pub. He has always had a passion for the Irish language and saw his love of food as the perfect vehicle for creating a space where the language could flourish. He trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School, an ideal place for anyone with a passion for quality and sustainability.
