Fúinn
Irish in every cup
Cupán Focail is on a mission to bring the Irish language back into everyday life — starting with your morning coffee.
What is Cupán Focail?
Cupán Focail — literally “a cup of words” — is a platform connecting cafés, staff, and customers through the Irish language. We believe that language lives in the small, everyday moments: ordering a coffee, reading a menu, saying thanks.
We partner with cafés across Ireland to bring Irish onto menus, train baristas in everyday phrases, and give customers a fun, low-pressure way to engage with the language — whether they're fluent or starting from scratch.
How it works
Cafés sign up, translate their menus with our tools, and train their staff through short, fun video lessons. Customers discover participating venues on our map, learn phrases as they go, and collect stamps for engaging with Irish — earning rewards along the way.
You don't need to be fluent. You just need a cupán.
The founders
Cupán Focail was created by Nicola and David during the Craicathon hackathon — born from a shared love of Irish culture and a belief that language revival doesn't have to be intimidating. It can be warm, welcoming, and served with a flat white.
Our values
- Fáilte — Everyone is welcome, regardless of level. No judgement, ever.
- Pobal — Community first. We build with cafés, not just for them.
- Spraoi— Fun. If it's not enjoyable, it won't stick.
- Príobháideacht — Privacy matters. We collect only what we need and keep your data safe.