Many in Dromintee will know that there is a local celebrity in their midst… and now thanks to her grandchildren’s TikToks those from much further afield are travelling to get a glimpse of the woman herself.
And, that woman is none other than Granny Mac – aka Maureen McCumiskey – the namesake behind Granny Macs coffee.
The little coffee house is one of the few rural businesses in the Dromintee area but since opening in May 2023 its become a hive of activity and a warm community hub of constant craic.
It sits just beyond the front doorstep of Maureen’s home and is run by her four grandchildren, Jessica, Stephanie, Justine and Bryan Ennis who are all aged in their 20s.
Explaining the family history behind the four walls of Granny Macs, Jessica told Armagh I: “It used to be our Granda’s old shop in the 1980s for milk, bread, newspapers… like a corner shop.
“He then started an insurance office at the other side of the house, where I am mainly based, and the other building was basically vacant then.
“We wanted to to something with it and coffee is such a big thing now and we were having to drive on our lunch and get one or two coffees a day so we just thought why not?”
Their father had owned renowned Newry-based soft play centre, The Fun House where all the children had started their working lives learning the ropes in the centre’s on-site café.
Of the four siblings, Justine and Bryan are the two full-time baristas with Jessica and Stephanie working on a rota system part-time. But all four have an equal, shared passion for the coffee stop and everything it represents.
The real boss… Granny Mac also plays a key role in making sure each and every one of them are looked after in a way that only a Granny knows how.
Said Jessica: “Nanny is 90 now and it just reminds her of years ago when they had the shop and our mum and aunties worked in it as well, so it just brings her back.
“She’ll head out every day at 3 o’clock with her wee China mug to get a skinny latte! That’s her routine… and she has to bring her own cup.
“She comes in at the end of the day looking for cloths to wash or dishes to dry, she will water the flowers and clean the windows. You can’t stop her.
“Our Granda died six years ago, so from that, it’s just a new boost of life for her.”
The ultra-pampered Bryan and Justine also get a freshly cooked breakfast of eggs and toast or bacon buddies every morning, says Jessica.
And even though she had slight reservations about appearing in social media videos to begin with, the fun-loving nonagenarian is now enjoying the “buzz” of getting in on the action.
In a hilarious video posted on TikTok, Bryan and Justine can be seen standing behind the coffee counter with the caption, “Can I speak to your manager?” before flicking to Maureen’s front door where she emerges, sunglasses on ready to mean business!
In another tongue-in-cheek video captioned, “We know who the favourite is” Justine is behind the counter inquisitively looking out for someone coming… to no avail before the camera switches to Bryan and Granny Mac making her way across the forecourt with a warm brew in hand for her “favourite” grandchild.
And while Granny is clearly a hit with customers, Jessica tells Armagh I that there’s so many other reasons behind the business’ success.
“There’s a lot of passing traffic and it just works where it is,” she said. “It’s right beside Slieve Gullion as well. We are about a five minute’s drive from the forest park.
“There are so many people coming from like Germany, Australia, France coming to see the castle and they are googling and the coffee shop is coming up right beside it.”
Their success has had an impact far and wide and was even picked up by the BBC for feature in Paddy and Nigel’s Tourist Trap series which aired in March.
Primarily offering coffee and traybakes to go, the café also has a small sit-in area where customers can sit back, relax and enjoy breath-taking views across an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Their traybakes are supplied by a local baker and are all freshly made. Jessica admits the traybakes are something she is particularly “fussy” about and she proudly stands over their quality.
It may be small, but it is mighty and while Jessica is unsure of what the future holds in terms of expansion she says the entire family are all just enjoying the experience of working together and will take it a step at a time and see where things go!
