A new café is bringing a little bit of Dubai café culture home – with plenty of homemade treats thrown in for good measure.

ERTH Café, based at Tír na Sí in Watergrasshill, is the latest addition to the family-run farm business, which has already grown to include a preschool, children’s activities and events.

The café is the brainchild of Lauren McCarthy (now Bransfield) and her husband Ronan Bransfield, who recently returned home after spending around five years living and working in Dubai.

Lauren, a primary school teacher, and Ronan, a financial analyst, had both enjoyed careers they loved, but after years abroad they decided it was time for a change.

A family endeavour 

“We had talked about starting something of our own for a while,” Lauren said. “And with my parents already running a business on the farm, it felt like a really exciting opportunity to build something together.”

The idea for ERTH was inspired in part by their life in Dubai, where cafés had become a big part of their everyday routine.

Whether it was grabbing a coffee on the way to work, meeting friends for breakfast or simply sitting down with a coffee and something sweet, the couple loved how cafés could become part of daily life.

“When we came home to Watergrasshill, that was something we really missed,” Lauren said. “We kept saying how lovely it would be to create that feeling here at home.”

And so, ERTH was born. The new café sits alongside Tír na Sí Preschool. Her parents have run Tír na Sí for a number of years, initially developing it as a venue for children’s birthday parties, camps and activities before opening the preschool in 2023. Now, ERTH is adding coffee, breakfast, lunch and a whole lot of cake to the mix.

The menu focuses on simple, freshly made food, including sandwiches and focaccia, breakfast options, pastries, homemade cakes and, of course, coffee.

And if the early reaction is anything to go by, their homemade cinnamon buns are already proving a hit.

“We’ve only just opened, so it’s been really exciting and slightly nerve-wracking seeing people come through the doors and getting such lovely feedback from the local community,” Lauren said.

 

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The couple hope ERTH will become more than just somewhere to grab a coffee – whether it’s a morning stop on the way to work, a post-school-run catch-up, a quick lunch, or simply somewhere to sit and enjoy a coffee and a sweet treat.

“We wanted to bring a little bit of the café and lifestyle culture we loved in Dubai back home, but make it feel completely Watergrasshill,” Lauren said.

ERTH Café is open Monday to Friday: 7.30am to 2.30pm and Saturday: 8.30am to 3.30pm.