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We sat down for a socially distanced conversation with Victor Bayda recently, which was published in The Kerryman newspaper as Gaeilge on Thursday, 29th October 2020.
Aimsir dhúshlánach ach tá caifé nua “Driftwood” tar éis oscailt sa Ghleann, Bá Fhíonáin agus labhramar lena úinéir, duine áitiúil atá tagtha abhaile tar éis roinnt blianta thar lear – Carl Ó Conaill.
Comhghairdeachas Carl leis an oscailt! Radharc álainn Bhá Fhíonáin agus na Scealg os do chomhair amach agus bia denscoth. Conas a tháinig tú ar an gcinneadh teacht abhaile agus caifé a oscailt id’áit dhúchais?
Míle buíochas Victor. Bhíos im chónaí i nDún Éideann ar feadh 5 bliana déag, áit ar bhuaileas le mo bhean chéile álainn Jenny i 2009. Ar an ndrochuair bhí m’athair an-tinn leis an ngalar néarón luadrach (Motor Neurone Disease) agus theastaigh uaim fhéin agus Jenny filleadh ar Éire. Cé gurb as Albain do Jenny thit sí i ngrá leis an nGleann nuair a thug sí cuairt ar an áitdon gcéad uair i 2010. Theastaigh uainn filleadh ar an nGleann dáiríre le bheith níos giorra do m’athair agus le cabhrú le mo mháthair a bhí ag tabhairtaire dó go lán-aimseartha léi fhéinig. Chuaigh galar m’athair in olcas ar an ndrochuair áfach agus cailleadh é i mí Feabhra 2018, sular thosaíomar ag tógaint Driftwood fiú. É sin ráite bhí ár bpleananna ann ag an stad sin agus braithim go mbeadh m’athair sásta leis an méid atá ina gort glas cois farraige anois. In ionad ainmhithe ar féarach, tá daoine anois (le srianta i bhfeidhim)ar féarach, ag ithe ‘s ag ól i (lasmuigh de) bhfoirgnimh nua-thógtha.
Driftwood conas gur roghnaigh sibh ant-ainm?
Bhí neart plé agus díospóireachtaí idir mé fhéin & Jenny. Bhíomar beirt den dtuairim gur fearr rud éagsúil ach áitiuil a roghnú. Tá an Sceilig luaite agus in úsáid ag go leor gnólachtaí agus cé go bhfuil radharc iontach againn di, theastaigh uainn rud difriúl a roghnú. Is minic a thagann adhmad raice (Driftwood) i dtír ar an dtráigh, bhí neart píosa suimiúla baillithe ag m’athair thar na blianta ó bháid éagsúla a chuaigh go tóin poill nó a bhriseadh timpeall an chósta is dócha. Bhraithíomar go gcruthaíonn adhmaid raice agus ‘Driftwood’ an focal fhéin atmaisféar ar leith. Tá scéal ar leith ag gach píosa adhmaid a thagann i dtír ar an dtráigh agus cá bhfios cad as a dtagann na píosaí éagsúla. Tá súil againn go spreagfaidh agus go gcothóidh Café Driftwood an t-atmaisféar céanna, go dtiocfaidh agus go bhfillfidh cuairteoirí sna blianta romhainn ag roinnt scéalta ó chian is ó chóngar.
Ní raibh sibh oscailte i gceart ach arfeadh coicíse agus ansin ardaíodh leibhéal na srianta cóivide agus níl ceadfreastal ar dhaoine laistigh arís. Conas atá bhur meanma mar gheall air sin?
Bhíomar ar bharr na dtonn(ta) leis an dtacaíocht iontach a bhí á fáilt againn ó mhuintir an Ghleanna agus muintir Chiarraí Theas go gineráltaónar osclaíomar. Buaileadh buille trom orainn ansin leis na srianta. Bhíáirithintí tógtha againn d’fhormhór de mhí Dheireadh Fómhair is níos faide. Is le croí trom a chuireamar glaoch ar na haon duine le gach rud a chur ar ceal. Bhí orainn gach rud a chur in eagar aríst, teagmháil a dhéanamh le cuairteoirí, soláthróirí (soláthraithe) foireann a shocrú agus a leithéad. Chuamar i ngleic le seo go léir go tapaidh áfach agus bheartaíos agus Jenny dul sa seans,triail a bhaint as bia a chur ar fáil lasmuigh agus “beir leat” nó dáileadh amháin. Táimíd beirt dearfach go leor, bíonn an ghloine leathlán mar a deirtear, agus bheartaíomar féachaint an bhféadfaimís rud a ofráil sa gCafé a bheadh suim ag an bPobail ann. Níl an misneach caillte againn fós.
Tá mórtas na háite go láidir le feiscintsa chaifé – tá pictiúir le daoine áitiúla agus leabhair a bhaineann leis an áittimpeall an chaifé.
Tá an cheart agat táim ana-bhródúil as an nGleann, na pobail agus na glúinte a d’imigh romhainn go háirithe. Is áit iarghúlta fián í an Gleann a chruthaigh agus a chothaigh daoine ar leith le pearsantachtaí ar leith. Tá cuid de na daoine seo imithe ar shlí na fírinne anois faraor ach leanann a n-oidhreacht agus leanfaidh siad tríd nascéalta. Feictear agus tuigtear dúinn gur fúinne atá sé scéalta, béaloideas agus stair áitiúil a bhailiú ó na glúinte romhainn mar is sinne, na glúinte níos óige a bheidh thíos leis muna bhfuilimid ag éisteacht. Tá an-oiread le foghlaim uathu, an saol a bhí acu, saol cruaidh i gcomparáid linne anois in alán slite. Tá súil againn le Driftwood gur féidir linn cuid den mbéaloideas seo a bhailiú agus a chaomhnú níos mó . Ba bhreá linn an saibhreas seo a roinnt, gan dabht ar phobail na háite agus cuairteoirí ar aon tríd oícheanta scéalaíochta, ceol, amhránaíocht agus bothántaíocht sna blianta romhainn.
Comhghairdeachas libh arís agus nár fadago mbeidh sibh ar oscailt i gceart arís!
Míle buíochas a chara, táimíd ag súil go mór le fáilte mhór achur roimh na héinne aríst go luath.
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Challenging times but a new café & restaurant “Driftwood” has just opened in an Gleann, Bá Fhíonáin and we spoke to its owner, a local person that came home after having spent a number of years abroad – Carl Ó Conaill.
Congratulations on the opening Carl! Gorgeous view of Bá Fhíonáin and the Skelligs. Great Reports on the opening & food. How did you come up with the decision to come home and open up a business in your home place?
Thank you Victor, I had been living in Edinburgh for nearly 15 years, met my beautiful wife Jenny in 2009, but sadly my father was gravely ill with Motor Neurone Disease and Jenny and I both wanted to return to Ireland (important to point out that Jenny is Scottish but loved The Glen since the first time she visited in 2010 😊) and more specifically the Glen to be closer to him and assist my mother who looked after Dad on a full time basis on her own. His condition deteriorated over the years and he sadly passed away in Feb 2018 before we started to build Driftwood. I'd like think that if he is looking down from above and once he had got over the fact that his beautiful green field, once grazed by his cows and sheep, although now desecrated somewhat with a lump of a building ....that he would be proud. :)
Driftwood, how did you decide on the name?
After several long debates with my better half, we both thought the idea of using the Skelligs as part of our name was perhaps too obvious and already used by a significant number of existing businesses in South Kerry . We wanted to come up with something a little different. Driftwood often washes up on the Glen strand and my father had some lovely finds of odd shaped wood from old wrecks down through the years that we decided that Driftwood and the word itself has some lovely vibes to it. Each piece that washes up has a story to tell and could have possibly have travelled from somewhere many many miles away. We want Driftwood to have similar connotations when visitors come and go over the years, sharing stories from afar and of their time in the Glen to hopefully return another time.
You were only open for a fortnight and then the level of covid restrictions was raised and now you are not allowed to serve people inside. How is morale because of that?
This was a tough body blow as we were riding on the crest of a wave with incredible support from the local Glen community and wider South Community. We had taken reservations for the majority of October and beyond so having to phone customers up and cancel alongside reorganizing staff, suppliers etc was disheartening but was something that Jenny and I had to come to grips with pretty quick. We decided shortly after the Level 3 announcement that we would take a gamble and operate and offer Takeway and Outdoor Dining and see how it would work after the first weekend. Jenny and I are both “glass half full” people so morale was still strong and positive that we could offer something that the public would be interested in availing of.
Your pride of place can be strongly seen in the Driftwood– there are pictures of local people and books connected to the place all around the building.
Yes, I am extremely proud of the Glen and the communities and generations who have gone before us. The Glen is an extremely wild and rural part of Ireland, especially in winter and it has created some wonderful characters over the years, sadly a lot of whom have now passed away but such is their legacy that stories abound that will live on through others. We have to be very mindful that unless younger generations like ours safeguard and record folklore, stories and general history of those of who have gone before us, that it is us who will lose out. We have a lot to learn from the older generations and their way of life, it was significantly tougher in many senses than ours is today. We hope that in Driftwood that we can curate some of this Irish folklore from the Glen and wider Iveragh and share it with locals and visitors alike through various events such as storytelling evenings or traditional music nights throughout the years to come.
Congratulations to you again and let it not be long till you can open completely again!
Many thanks Victor, we are looking forward to opening back up soon enough and offering a hearty welcome to all.