AN €850,000 investment has resulted in the transformation of a derelict site in Kilkee into a seafood destination.
Robert Hayes and his wife Elaine recently opened Naughton’s Yard, an exciting development which includes apartments, a café, an art gallery and a vintage food truck serving the best of locally caught seafood.
Their €850,000 project was completed with the support of a €41,000 grant under the Brexit Blue Economy Enterprise Development Scheme, recommended by the Seafood Taskforce established by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD (FF) and implemented by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM). The scheme is funded by the European Union under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.
Located just 500m from the beach, the new seafood destination has been developed on what was the site of stables used for carriage horses that serviced the old West Clare Railway in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The derelict land had been an eyesore in the town.
Elaine led on the decors used for the new centre and went to great lengths to ensure they were unique, with a strong seaside theme. The final part of the project involved the sourcing of a vintage 1968 American Airstream trailer which has been converted it into a sleek, outdoor food truck offering delicious seafood sourced from local suppliers and fishermen including lobster, prawns, hake and lemon sole.
For the last 25 years, Robert and Elaine have been running the popular Naughtons Seafood Restaurant in the centre of Kilkee.
“We had our eye on this derelict site for some time and saw huge potential for it. The location is perfect, and is close to the seafront. We wanted the development to promote the fishing heritage that Kilkee and West Clare are known for, and to incorporate this with promoting local art,” Robert explained. “The site was in poor repair and an eyesore we were delighted to transform it into a popular attraction for tourists”.
Purchasing and repurposing the trainer has resulted in “a huge attraction,” he said as it “allows for outdoor dining with awnings to provide shelter in bad weather. There is also a take-home food service”.
He added, “We are a local family who live and work here and have created employment in the area over the last 25 years. We are proud to be creating new jobs while promoting the rich coastal tourism and fishing heritage our area has to offer”.
According to Robert, they have forged relationships with local fisherman and suppliers to deliver sustainably caught seafood from “sea to fork”, thereby keeping a low to neutral carbon footprint.
In addition, they are only using eco-friendly compostable and recycled packaging, keeping with Kilkee’s very successful ‘Make Kilkee Plastic Free’ initiative, and new solar panels are providing 70 per cent of electricity.
