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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
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Jane Corscadden

Aunt Nellie's Café in Ardoyne on keeping family history alive

A café that opened in North Belfast last week is hoping to keep their family's history alive.

Shauna Travers opened Aunt Nellie's Café on Alliance Avenue in Ardoyne last Saturday as a way to pursue her dream of owning a coffee shop while remembering her Great Aunt, who was well-known in the area.

Ellen Mulholland - who was known as Nellie - was famed for saying the rosary in Toby's Hall at the beginning of The Troubles in a hope for peace. She was also known in the area for the black boot she would wear, as one of her legs was shorter than the other.

The café pays homage to the family's history, with even the teapots and old china cups being passed down through the years.

Shauna told Belfast Live the story behind her café and why she wanted to remember her Aunt Nellie this way.

She said: "I always wanted to have a coffee shop. I love coffee, but I also love quirky teapots and china, and things that are special - things that you may save for special occasions.

Tea in the café is served in original hand crafted teapots owned by the family (Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)

"If friends were coming to my house, I would have made a cocktail in the teapot and served it in the teacups. It's all about making the customer feel special, using the teapots and nice cups. We wanted to create somewhere that was a good meet-up point, but still had a nice feel to it.

"With the café being in the women's centre [Grace Family Centre], I thought we would call it after our Aunt Nellie. She never married, never had children, she was my great granny's sister. She supported my granny and her family, but she was very well known locally.

"She had one normal leg and one short leg, so she wore a huge big black boot - her name was Ellen Mulholland, but everyone knew her as Nellie. She was famous in Ardoyne for saying the rosary in Toby's Hall at the start of The Troubles.

"A lot of people have been telling us they remember her, and so when we were opening up in the women's centre, we thought we'd name it after her as she was an inspirational woman in our family circle. We're all really proud to now have something in her name.

"There's a lady who comes in and talks about her all the time, saying she remembers her as clear as day. It's nice for the family to hear about her."

She said the family are proud to have a place in their Aunt Nellie's name (Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)

There are three generations working at the café, with Shauna's 79-year-old granny helping out, and her mum leaving her job to help run the shop.

Their first week has been "flat out", with Shauna saying anyone from any area is welcome for a coffee, tea, or spot of lunch.

She added: "We're on a peace wall here, but this isn't just open to North Belfast or Ardoyne - this is open to all sides of the community, we don't discriminate, everyone's welcome.

"If this takes off, I'd love to open a second Aunt Nellie's. If we get things right, the place will be spoken about, and if it takes off we'll try and get another one set up somewhere else."

Amid rave reviews - with special mention given to the quirky family teapots used here every day, not just for special occasions - Shauna is grateful to everyone who has stopped in so far, and everyone who has helped the shop get started.

She said: "My family have been so supportive, I couldn't have done this past week without them. Everyone's just mucked in to help. I'd want to say a huge thanks to everyone who's come in so far.

"I'd also like to thank my mummy, she left her job to come on board and run this shop with me. Also the board of directors in the Grace Centre, especially centre manager Sally Fogarty."

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