Streamstown coffee shop "going from strength to strength"

Members of Athlone Moate Municipal Distict were told at their July meeting this week that the coffee shop which is currently operating at Streamstown on the Old Rail Trail has been “going from strength to strength” over the summer season.

The remarks were made by the council’s Director of Services, Barry Kehoe, who provided a comprehensive update on the amenity area in Streamstown to members, and said the coffee shop and toilet facilities in the refurbished rail station have been “a huge success” so far this year.

He complimented Jackie (Muldoon) and her team who have been running the amenity area in Streamstown since March of this year when the council granted a five-year licence for the operation of the coffee shop, called Jack’s Stop, and the toilet facilities, to the Tubber woman.

Located halfway between Athlone and Mullingar, Jack’s Stop is a popular stop off point for users of the greenway, with a playground adjacent to the building, bike parking, and indoor/outdoor seating alongside the historic railway station.

“The facility has been very lucky with the weather, it must be said, but it is being widely used both by visitors and local people and it has been a great success so far,” said Barry Kehoe, who added that the council is reviewing the opening hours for the toilet block with a view to having the toilets open on a 24 hour, seven day a week basis.

Mr Kehoe said having all-day access to the toilet facilities as being “an essential service” and said it was the aim of the council to have the toilets open around the clock rather than just being available to customers during the operating hours of the café.

He also said the council is planning to install ramps on the access road into the car park “within the next week” and they are also examining the possibility of erecting signs prohibiting the overnight parking of camper vans and motor homes.

Cllr Louise Heavin wanted to know if some of the Just Transition tourism funding could be used to develop a parking area for campers, while Cllr Vinny McCormack said the amenity area in Streamstown would make an “ideal community wi-fi hub” and he asked if this could be explored. He also called for extra lighting to be erected at the narrow entrance to the greenway at Streamtstown.

The son of the current leaseholder of Jack’s Stop in Streamstown, Jonathan Muldoon, operates the ‘Jack In The Box’ coffee truck in Moate.