The Cabin

In my travels I have met a number of Ulster folk in many parts of the world. “Oh you’re from Donaghadee. We loved to go to Donaghadee and we always went into “The Cabin” for an ice cream”. This expression has been heard so many times. “The Cabin” is as much a Donaghadee landmark as the Lighthouse and the Moat. Now it is celebrating its 80th anniversary.

Billy Grego and his sister Marie opened the shop in 1929 at the bottom of New Street. It originally occupied a space around the third of is current size. The door and the counter represent the original size. The space inside to the right of the door was originally part of a house which was incorporated into the shop.

The shop has always been famous for its homemade ice cream. An abiding memory is of Billy Grego coming from the direction of Bow Street carrying two enamel buckets filled to the brim with creamy milk. In spite of his heavy load he always had a cheery greeting. The milk was dispensed into the freezer and another memory was the sound of the paddles churning out the next batch of the famous confection. However, to paraphrase Henry Ford, “you can have any flavour you want as long as it’s vanilla”.

The latest proprietors of the shop are Billy’s nieces Una and Fionnuala Breslin. They have preserved the shop as it always was. The furniture dates back around 40/50 years, the old scales are still in use with the only apparent modern touch being a new electronic till. The original mechanical till still exists as a historic exhibit. The shop is decorated with photos of the other Donaghadee institutions of the Male Voice Choir, the Rugby Club and the lifeboat. Another historic touch is the wide selection of bottled sweets. It is good to see the queues outside this summer and children coming in the evenings to buy from the sweetie selection. Here’s wishing Una and Fionnuala a successful future in “The Cabin”.