Phila, a Mervue native, is a weekly regular at The Bungalow coffee mornings.
“I go to mass in Mervue and it is always mentioned on a Wednesday morning, that there is coffee afterwards in The Bungalow. Most of us go over and we thoroughly enjoy it, because at our age most of us don’t see each other during the week. We have our tea and coffee, and a chat with our parish priest, Father Martin. So, as soon as we sit down … we hear all the bits and pieces of news. I thoroughly enjoy that, all the information that I wouldn’t get at home I have it here.”
Talking to Phila you get a sense of someone that is enthusiastic about life and intends to enjoy each day. The summer months at The Bungalow were a particular highlight for Phila. “We had a canopy outside and it was like a holiday when you came up here. You had the sun on your back. The tables were full, and it was very pleasurable.” Phila enjoyed the planned activities, especially if there was a contest, “you could get a little prize if you were lucky, and you’d go home on top of the world.”
Phila enjoys ‘the style’ and has particularly fond memories of the race day hosted by The Bungalow during the Galway Races. There were prizes handed out for the best dressed and best hat, with many designing their own creations. The competitiveness of the group shone through on the day, with Phila joking, “we had Philip Treacy hats and all.”
The Bungalow has added a social aspect to the community and as Phila herself says