A TIPPERARY coffee shop has defended its decision to operate an "adults only" policy on anyone visiting the venue.
The Old Barracks in Birdhill represents Ireland's only child-free coffee shop.
That means the usual array of energetic kids, screaming babies, and moody teens are absent, with adult visitors invited to roll up and enjoy the silence.
Offering stunning views, an easy listening soundtrack for customers and fine coffee, the venue has already proven popular with locals and tourists alike.
Despite this, Ian Andrews, owner of the Old Barracks Coffee Roasters, admitted to the Irish Examiner that he's faced some opposition to the idea - mostly from Irish visitors.
"Foreigners get the whole idea of an adults' only venue straight away but in Ireland it's still a new concept," he said.
"Sometimes it can be a bit tricky if people haven't read the policy beforehand, but we have to stick to what we say or we'd be breaking it for everyone."
The café only opened last summer but is already attracting visitors from nearby Clare, Limerick and even Dublin.
And despite the no children policy, Andrews is keen to stress that the company isn't against children.
"I've two teens myself so I'm not anti-child but I just think adults need an environment sometimes where they can unwind and have space without distractions," he said.
In any case, Andrews did his homework before moving forward with the plan.
Prior to opening the Old Barracks, he ran a survey among local residents.
One of the questions concerned the introduction of a child-free venue and whether they would approve of the plans.
Most people were on-board with the idea.
Given the initial success enjoyed at the venue over the past few months, then a few more venues could yet end up following suit.
Check out the Irish Examiner's full interview with Ian Andrews here.
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