MURPHY’S tearoom is back on the map as Ederney residents – and those from further afield – have been rushing to get a cuppa.
The old building had been left to ruin for the best part of two decades and memories of its former glory were fading.
However, backed by the Village Catalyst – a scheme that tackles rural poverty and rejuvenates ruined buildings – the Ederney Community Development Trust has breathed new life into the tearooms which last week stuck a brew on and re-opened its doors to thirsty customers.
And according to Dr Anne Monaghan of the Trust, the punters just can’t stop coming back for more.
She said, “Murphy’s on Main Street had lain derelict for 17 years. The building itself dates back to before the Famine (1845) and is a listed building. It was the old village tearooms. On market days, it would have been bustling with people getting tea or lunch. We decided to bring those tearooms back to life.
“Since it opened last week, it has just been phenomenal. It has been non-stop people going through the doors – Main Street is busy once more.
“It’s not just customers from Ederney going in. People have been coming far and wide from Enniskillen and Omagh.
“We’ve even had people asking what’s the best time to come when it’s quiet – that’s a bit tricky given how busy it has been so far.”
On how the plans to revamp Murphy’s began, Anne added, “The Ederney Trust sat down to look at how to address the dereliction on Main Street. We decided to approach Ederney Credit Union to redevelop Murphy’s and get it back into the community.
“We secured funding to do initial studies and reports into the building such as heritage studies, conservation studies and business plans.
“We were successful in being selected as one of the pilot projects for the Village Catalyst scheme – which is funded by DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs), the Department for Communities, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Architectural Heritage Fund.”
And the big plans for Ederney doesn’t stop with the tearooms as Anne reveals.
“We’ve had 11 new houses developed on Main Street and Castlederg Road,” she continued. “An Air B’n’B has opened as an accountancy business. A hairdressers has moved back to Main Street and a high-end Italian restaurant – Cobbler’s – is opening this week.
“We’ve also started fundraising for a new community centre – which will hopefully be opposite St Joseph’s Park – and we’re meeting with developers. So there’s certainly lots going on in Ederney.”
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