Dating back to the early 18th century and with the original building attributed to Richard Cassels (associated with many great Irish buildings including Leinster House), Athy’s Town Hall has been extended and re-purposed many times and it has had an incredible range of different uses – market house, Free Masons Club, Macra na Feirme headquarters, Parish school and even fire station among them.
But it would be hard to imagine anything that could surpass its current reinvention, as home to The Shackleton Experience, which opened in 2025. Now, with its combination of restoration and modernity (as in the striking glass extension known as ‘The Iceberg’ and interactive exhibitions), it is a welcoming and intriguing destination honouring and exploring the life of the locally born polar explorer, Ernest Shackleton – and a must-see when visiting Kildare.
Every aspect of The Shackleton Experience feels as if it has been thought through to convey much more than the impressive exhibits themselves – and that extends to its atmospheric café Ernie’s, which is operated by a different kind of local hero Graham Herterich, aka The Cupcake Bloke. Although his main business The Bakery is in Dublin and run with his husband, Daithi Kelleher, he grew up above the family’s butchers shop in Athy – and his story is well known, through his active engagement in the Irish food world and the tales and recipes in his highly successful cookbooks Bake: Traditional Irish Baking with Modern Twists, and Cook: Traditional Irish Cooking with Modern Twists, both of which are seen against the backdrop of an earlier version of Athy and, as he says himself, ‘pay homage to traditional food while introducing contemporary elements’. And all of this translates into a special experience at Ernie’s café, where you can enjoy simple yet seriously tasty homemade food with a local vibe in the vaulted setting of this extraordinary place – and perhaps take one of the books home, to reproduce some of his delightful recipes yourself.
Local and Irish produce is at the heart of the Ernie’s experience, where specialities that top the bill include ‘Mr Crisp!’ (the house version of Croque Monsieur, made with ham, mature Irish cheddar, bechamel, scallions, apple chutney & Tayto crisps) and ‘Explorer Tea Brack‘ which is inspired by the adventures of Ernest Shackleton and Tom Crean - a brack with a difference, it's made using Tom Crean Blend Tea (Clement & Pekoe) and spices from around the world including Star Anise, Crystallised Ginger and Graham’s own Sweet Spice Blend.
Ernie’s is small café but it has a big heart. The short menus change often with the seasons and flavour comes first. You don’t need an entrance ticket to get into the café and there are a few seats outside too, so it’s a great spot for locals to meet up for a chat as well as a lovely surprise for visitors. All round The Shackleton Experience and Ernie’s add a whole new dimension to Athy and the town is lucky to have them.
