Coffee and Donuts has been trading in Corkagh park for 5 years
Coffee van licence not renewed after 5 years of trading
A COFFEE van in Corkagh Park did not have its licence renewed by the council after five years of trading in the area.
Coffee and Donuts Dublin, which was located in the car park at Corkagh Park in Clondalkin, did not have its licence renewed by the local authority “due to the opening of the café”, according to a post shared on Facebook.
The new café in Corkagh Park, Ruff Café, is in the heart of the park and was added to the park’s facilities in late 2025 as part of a €5 million enhancement scheme carried out by South Dublin County Council.
The coffee van’s owners shared this statement on the business’ social media: “We would like to sincerely thank all of our loyal customers that we have had the pleasure of serving for the last five years.
“We are all devastated here at Coffee and Donuts Dublin.”
The van is now operating at Hayden’s Lane in Lucan for the foreseeable future after its removal from the St John’s entrance of Corkagh Park, where they will serve coffee and treats every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Deputy Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Councillor Trevor Gilligan has stated that he will discuss the issue in the next council meeting.
The removal of the coffee van in Corkagh Park was discussed at the final monthly council meeting of 2025 alongside the removal of another casual trading offering in Tymon Park.
It was noted by SDCC Director of Climate Action Teresa Walsh that the suggestion to remove the van was made “following the council provision of the Tymon and Corkagh Park centres.”
The Deputy Mayor told The Echo: “I don’t think Ruff Café would lose too much business if there was a coffee van at the car park entrance.
“Residents seem to be really devastated about this decision.”
Ruff Café opened its doors on Monday, December 8, 2025, and is part of a new hub zone at Corkagh Park, which also includes the multi-use events stage, picnic areas, play areas and more.
The official opening by SDCC Mayor Cllr Pamela Kearns had marked the completion of construction of the Corkagh Park café and hub just over a month earlier.
Councillor Eoin Ó Broin noted that the decision to remove the van could be revisited but that the council will want to ensure the success of the recently opened café in the centre of the park.
Cllr Ó Broin said: “I think that the decision could be reviewed in a few months, but management will be very wary of jeopardising their own cafes.”
A statement from the council in response to a query on the coffee van noted that councillors adopted revised casual trading by-laws, which came into effect on Thursday, January 1.
The locations of existing casual trading spots were revised and the van is no longer licenced as a result.
The offering of ice-cream/confectionery remains at St Johns entrance in addition to the ice-cream/confectionery at Camac Valley entrance to Corkagh Park.
The local authority stated: “There is now a permanent provision of a coffee shop in Corkagh Park which also supports the provision of publicly accessible toilets, baby changing and shelter in the park.
“This is in line with SDCC’s parks and open spaces strategy and supports and facilitates longer dwell time in the parks for visitors at a time when outdoor living and use of our parks is increasing in popularity.
“The provision of the coffee shop in Corkagh Park is a very welcome addition to the recreation facilities and amenities in this popular park.”
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
