Sea swimming inspires new coffee blend
Sea swimming has provided the inspiration for a new coffee blend from Dundalk based Dreambeans Coffee.
Pat McArdle of Dreambeans Coffee and his wife Caoimhe swam in the sea at Salterstown, Annagassan with their children nearly every day of the summer and they have continued swimming there four or five days a week ever since.
‘As the water got colder and the winds grew sharper, we soon started demanding more than just taste from our pier-side-post-swim coffee,’ explains Pat. ‘We needed something with enough of a caffeine kick to get us moving again before our fingers and toes fell off and we needed something with an immediate burst of flavour to cut through the salt and get our taste buds working again.’
Pat and Caoimhe tasted and blended and tasted again for several weeks before getting the formula right and they are confident that Dreambeans’ new Rising Tide is just perfect for after a swim.
It is available online from www.dreambeanscoffee.ie
‘We might not be able to come together in person this year but we cannot let the pandemic keep us from taking part in the annual Dundalk Simon Sleeping Out,’ say Dundalk Simon Community, who are hosting a virtual sleep out in the first week of December.
‘Dundalk Simon Community have been hit very hard during COVID-19, with all of our fundraising events being cancelled. Church Gate collections won’t happen this year which is a huge loss to Dundalk Simon, this would be our biggest fundraiser for Christmas,’said Fundraising officer, Pamela O’Hare.
‘Also we would usually have smaller fundraisers like bag packing, carol singing, busking etc, but unfortunately with restrictions we are not sure these will happen.’
The ‘Sleep Out’, which is held every year at the Market Square is organised by loyal volunteers, and is a major source of fundraising.
She added: ‘ This year’s Sleep
Out is going virtual. Swap your bed for a sleeping bag and forego your usual comforts for one night and help raise desperately needed funds for people experiencing homelessness.’
Please make a one-off donation or create your own fundraising page where family and friends can support you!
‘We have a go fund me page set up or sponsorship cards are available from our Seatown office call 0429339583.’
Despite the huge difficulties in fundraising this year, Dundalk Simon have also received some support from a number of local people.
In partnership with author Vincent Butler, they have launched a GoFundMe fundraiser appeal ‘Helping Our Homeless – A Gift for Schools’. For every €20 raised through donations, Dundalk Simon will gift a copy of Vincent Butler’s captivating book ‘Sixty Photographs for Simon’ to a school in our area as a valuable teaching resource.