Irish Coffee has its origins in 1942, when the chef of the restaurant at Foynes Airport, Chef Joe Sheridan served the first Irish Coffee to some passengers.

JOE SHERIDAN
Born in Bridgetown, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone in 1909, Joe Sheridan was one of seven children of Michael and Mary Margaret Sheridan, - Patrick, John, Kevin, Joe, Edward, Michael and Grace. Joe’s Father, Michael was in the Cattle business and when he died in 1928 the Family moved to Dublin and lived at 19 Hollybrook Road, Clontarf. Joe’s brothers, John, Michael and Edward continued in the cattle business and Patrick became a Priest. Grace, the only girl married John Hughes. Joe was working in Pims of Georges Street , Dublin before moving to Foynes.

By 1937, Foynes had been established as the main airport for Flying Boats between America and Europe and the trial flights began with Imperial Airways and Pan American Airways. By 1940, the airport had a large number of passengers transiting including VIPs such as John F Kennedy, Yehudi Menuhin, Humphrey Bogart, Eleanor Roosevelt, Edward G Robinson, Ernest Hemmingway Douglas Fairbanks Snr. etc. who would rest in the airport while the flying boat was prepared for its next journey. Sometimes the wait could be overnight owing to bad weather. A Restaurant had been established by BOAC but when DeValera visited Foynes he saw the need for a 1st. Class Restaurant with the best of Irish Food and Drink being served.

A young man named Brendan O’Regan , who had come to the attention of Sean Lemass and John Leydon got a call from Tim O’Driscoll and was offered the job to set up the new restaurant at Foynes. This restaurant was to be a vital ingredient in presenting a new image of Ireland and it’s people to the world. Brendan O’Regan got in touch with John & Putzel Hunt to design the interior of the Restaurant. By 1942 the Restaurant was up and running with Chef Joe Sheridan now employed.

One night a flight left Foynes for Botwood, Newfoundland and then on to New York. However due to bad weather conditions on the North Atlantic the Captain decided to return to Foynes - not an unusual occurrence. The Restaurant was informed to prepare food and drink, as the passengers would be cold and miserable.

Joe Sheridan, was serving coffee and he thought that a little drop of something stronger might warm them up so he added a drop of Irish Whiskey to their coffee. A surprised American passenger asked “is this Brazilian coffee”?, “No” Joe said, “That’s Irish Coffee”. From then on Irish Coffee became the official welcoming drink at Foynes Airport.

In October 1945, Foynes Airport closed as the Flying Boat era came to an end to make way for landplanes and a new airport was opened on the other side of the Shannon Estuary- Rineanna now known as Shannon International Airport. Joe Sheridan took his famous drink to the new airport and in 1952 was offered the opportunity to spread his wings and moved to San Francisco where he worked in the Buena Vista Cafe, San Francisco, continuing to make and introduce customers to his wonderful creation- Irish Coffee.