In a car park near the Killary Coastal Path, 200 meters down a small road just beside the Killary Fjord, a steady stream of hungry walkers, cyclists, and foodies are patiently awaiting a homemade feast.
“I was in university in Dublin at the time but I’m from Leenane originally. When I would visit home there was nowhere to get a good coffee. I could see there was a gap in the market for local, tasty, different food and specialty coffees. We decided to bring something unique to this beautiful setting,” Young says.With no formal training, she and Secco set about converting and renovating a 12 x 7-foot trailer which they bought second-hand in 2017.
That never conventional menu is what has kept visitors coming back for seconds. On a typical day at Misunderstood Heron’s hatch, you might sample Killary Fjord mussels served with homemade brown bread, roast aubergine on toast with burnt lemon, hummus, charred chilli salsa and dukkah alongside one of their famed slow-cooked shoulder of pork, bacon, and chorizo pasties. All of which are best washed down with a specialty coffee and topped off with a sweet treat.
“I can still remember the excitement of waiting for the next person to come when we started," Young laughs."We thought we were busy then, but we weren’t! The location is spectacular, but of course, over the last year, it has become even more popular as people couldn't travel. You could say it was the right time and the right place for us. We have truly found ourselves in the midst of an outdoor eating explosion.
‘I know Square is a big company, but the service is personal. It has made my life so much easier,’ says Young