The founders of a Tallaght based dessert brand are determined to put Irish back on the menu for the younger generation.
Ciara Shannon and Oran O'Caolain first set up Bo Bainne after meeting as students in DCU. They were aged just 19 and 20 at the time but were motivated to do so by their families respective enterpreneurial backgrounds.
Ciara explained that her grandfather Billy Moules set up his own business as a teenager, which inspired her to put her own stamp on the food industry.
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She told Dublin Live: "It's never been about people having perfect Irish. We had a phrase of the day initiative a while back, where people would be asked to say a phrase at the till in exchange for a discount."
The business deliberately inverts the words 'Bainne' and 'Bo' to enforce the idea that Irish doesn't need to be grammatically perfect for it to thrive. Ciara explained that both her and Oran's love of Irish was always a central part of the company's philosophy.
She continued: "We found that more people have been coming in to speak Irish for that purpose. It's about showing young people that Irish isn't just about poems written long ago- it's about being engaging and having fun."
The business is flourishing at its operational base at the Square, with a range of their desserts boasting Irish names. Ciara explained that many of their customers get a kick out of their cheeky 'Pog Mo Thon' sign located on the food truck, which often acts as a catalyst for some conversations as Gaeilge.
The two founders initially set up a food truck on the grounds of the Square and now have a second location at at the centre's cinema. While they are enjoying their newfound success, Ciara explained that their young age posed problems at the beginning.
She said: "When we first set up, we approached lots of different shopping centres. The Square was the only one that wanted to take us on- other places thought we were too young and over our heads but we have since been approached by those locations after Bo Bainne took off."
However, both Ciara and Oran agree that their business has found a permanent home in Tallaght. They said the support from both the locals and centre staff has been huge, with the same success highly unlikely elsewhere.
They recently nabbed the award for Best Newcomer at the Just Eat Takeaway awards. The duo learned of their nomination through a delighted customer, as their online nomination ended up in their spam email folder.
Both Ciara and Oran said that setting up a business, especially at a young age, requires confidence. However, the hard work ultimately can pay off with the right mindset.
They said: "You will have people laugh at you for no reason other than your age. The most important thing for a young person entering any career is to be able to network as much as you can, building contacts has massively benefitted us here."
Bo Bainne's food truck is located outside Level 3 of the Square. The business is currently preparing to turn its sweet treats green for St Patrick's Day, with more information on its menu available on Instagram.
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