Wed 7 Jul 2010
A Little Taste of Home: Traders
Posted by Clare under Drogheda profiles, Irish small town, Moving to Ireland
[9] Comments
Working from home is a luxury I thoroughly enjoy, though sometimes it has its drawbacks. There are days when I’ll look up from the computer and realize an entire 10 hours has passed, and I’m still in my pajamas, my neck stiff from sitting in the same position all day and my eyes glassy from staring at the screen too long. I’ll go days without interacting with a single person. Sometimes a necessary errand to buy milk is a welcome excuse to exchange pleasantries with another human being. A bit sad, really.
Back when I lived in Los Angeles, I had a choice of several cafes where I could buy a decent cup of coffee and spend a few hours doing work away from home. In Drogheda, there was no such escape…until now. As I walked home from a bar in town recently I noticed a new shop front, and as I peered in the window I saw a bona fide espresso machine and a few tables and chairs. A real coffee shop in the Drog?! EUREKA!
The café is called Traders, and though it’s only been open for a couple of weeks I’ve been there four times already. It’s a proper coffee shop with good espresso and coffee drinks and a selection of handcrafted sandwiches, cakes and biscuits all sourced locally. A neighborhood couple, Eoin and Niamh, opened the place because they, too, were desperate for a *real* coffee shop. Though Drogheda has a few pastry shops that serve coffee and tea, the vibe of these places is more cafeteria than café and I can say from personal experience that none have truly good coffee. Traders offers a cozy space with a laid-back vibe and a selection of simple but high-quality light fare. You could easily place it in a café-centric city like San Francisco or Seattle and it would fit right in.
Needless to say I am thrilled to have Traders within walking distance from my apartment and it’s quickly become my home office away from my home office. Some days I’ll sit with my laptop and do some writing for a good few hours; other days I’ll just read and have some much-needed quality time with a good book. I adore the Irish cheddar and salad sandwich on freshly-baked artisanal bread and I can’t seem to get out of there without at least two Americano-style espressos. It’s also a little haven for creative types; I recently met a fellow American writer who works at the café and her Irish filmmaker husband.
I hesitated to write about Traders because I’d like to hoard this wonderful little place all to myself, but that would be entirely too selfish. Just be sure to leave a sandwich and a little spot in the corner for me!
Traders is located on Laurence Street at West Street Junction, across the road from Kirwan’s Fish Cart.
where in drogheda is it .the coffee is ok in town but i miss real american coffee.
Hi Nicola, it’s across the street from Kirwan’s Fish Cart on Laurence Street.
I work from home as well and also experience being in my sweats until the wee hours…I dread the possibility of video conferencing becoming standard! Oh, if my boss were to see me in this bedraggled attire!
I was born in the Philippines and lived overseas and then moved to Baltimore, MD when I was a kid. I moved to North Florida in Jacksonville, and quite honestly, even though I’ve been here four years, it still seems like another world to me…! I’m still trying to find the coffee shop that I love that isn’t a standard franchise!
Trader’s sounds fab…will have to go when I come visit you. Have worked with Pascal Scott who is in your friend’s film….small world. See you soon!!! xx
Natalie: I even avoid SKYPE as I’m always in PJs during conference calls, lol.
Imen: Yes, you need to come out to the Drog for a visit soon!! Small world, indeed…
stopped into this place for a creamy coffee and carrot cake- both delicious! great atmosphere in the shop!
Sinead: I have to try the carrot cake – it always looks amazing. I love your work, by the way!
I can’t say Eoin and Niamh would be upset by this kind of write-up! And photos too? They are not worthy…:]
Popped into this coffee shop the other day and WOW ! what a place…great coffee and sandwiches…stress free relaxing. My only concern is that the place is quite small and if word spreads I will never get a seat ( and what seats they are ! Most unusual and comfortable design)