The May Bank Holiday weekend will see a multi-cultural food court open in the at the former Bank of Ireland premises in Miltown Malbay.
The building is home to Design Bank which has been transformed into a thriving hub of creativity thanks to the vision of Aoife O’Malley and the support of the LEADER programme.
Purchased in 2022, the property was first earmarked for apartments but Aoife recognised its potential as a cultural and economic asset and is now a co-working and retail space hosting artisans, craftspeople and artists.
‘Kind Kitchen@ Design Bank’ is the next step in the ongoing development of the social enterprise.
It will be housed in the old courtyard at the rear of the former bank building and will have a service kitchen and seating areas. Two out buildings will also be utilised, one where mead will be brewed and another will serve as an outdoors workshop/shebeen for music sessions.
Aoife O’Malley said: “We have an array of seriously talented cooks on board and they’ll be working in rotation with a different menu everyday from Wagyu weekends & Wild Wednesday to Tapas Thursday & Foodie Friday. We’ll have a mix of Irish, Spanish, Italian & Caribbean street food, along with delicious crepes & more and will be delighted to be serving many gluten free & vegetarian options.”
“This social enterprise is an all-inclusive space and is wheelchair accessible (apart from the bathroom). The pop up will run from May 1st to September 30th and all going well, our aim would be to go in for funding to make it a full time space, open all year round where we could engage with schools in Clare and around the country, particularly Transition Year students to provide tours and talks on this educational & cultural enterprise,” Aoife added.
The journey for Design Bank began in July 2024 with a three-week ‘Meet the Maker’ pop-up during the Willie Clancy Festival, a major annual celebration of Irish traditional music, song and dance. 25 local makers showcased their work to enthusiastic festival-goers, which demonstrated demand for a permanent creative space.
Aoife, with the assistance of others, went on to host pilot events throughout late 2024 – from family-friendly workshops to intimate concerts and storytelling. These experiences helped to refine the business model and further proved the need for a year-round hub.
Utilising the outside space and outhouses at the rear of the former bank was always part of Aoife’s plan and that vision of having an expanded food offering in a dedicated space at Design Bank will come to fruition on this May Bank Holiday weekend.
