Three Cork coffee shops make list of top ten in Ireland

Three Cork cafés have made the list of the top ten coffee shops in Ireland.

Three Fools on Grand Parade came in at number four, while Cork Coffee Roasters on Bridge Street was joint fifth and SOMA came ninth.

The data released by Betway, to mark National Cappuccino Day, measured popularity by a unique index score which looked at Google and Tripadvisor reviews as well as the number of hashtags each location has racked up on Instagram.

The lower the overall index score, the higher the café ranked on the list.

Gary McKeating, one of the owners of Three Fools told The Echo that it was an honour to have ranked so highly on the list, saying that it was particularly exciting given how the rankings were chosen.

“It’s really great that it’s measured across the board”, meaning it was from the people buying coffees rather than just selected by a panel of judges, he said.

“We are delighted - number four in Ireland for this small little coffee shop in the city,” McKeating said, adding: “It’s also great for Cork that there’s three of us in the top 10.” 

He praised the staff at Three Fools, saying: “without them we wouldn’t have gotten there, we try hire people that are just sound, hardworking, and get on with everyone.

“Your coffee is an experience and it can ruin your day - if you get a bad coffee or have a bad experience then your whole morning is ruined.” 

The experience element was key when McKeating along with childhood friend Kevin Foley set up the original Three Fools on Grand Parade in 2015, and their newest shop in Carrigaline which is about to celebrate its first birthday.

Explaining their vision, McKeating said: “We loved coffee and we thought in 2015 that there wasn’t enough specialty coffee in Cork.

He said that some specialty places were starting to pop up at the time and said: “we wanted to get on board with that and create a coffee shop that had a bar vibe without the drink.

“It was more than just getting a great coffee, it was about the experience and growing a community around that.”