New gifting platform launched in Boyle

A new gifting platform which enables people to send coffees and treats instantly to family and friends was launched in Boyle at the weekend, just in time for Halloween.

Brontie, the brainchild of Kevin Honer from Maynooth, was launched at the King House Tea Rooms on Bank Holiday Monday, October 27th.

It may have been a wet and windy day, but the local spirit more than made up for the weather. There was great interest from visitors and locals alike, with plenty of people stopping to learn how Brontie lets them send a small, thoughtful treat — like a coffee or cake — to someone they care about in seconds. It’s a simple way to make someone’s day, and to support independent Irish cafés at the same time.

Kevin stated, “We’re thrilled to bring Brontie west — especially to Roscommon, where the Halloween tradition itself was born. It felt fitting to mark the weekend by extending the gifting culture here.” 

Owner Dorothy Shannon at King House Tea Rooms was delighted to get involved. Customers have already commented on how easy it is to use: no app, no sign-ups, just a quick link that turns a simple coffee into a small act of kindness.

Dorothy described the concept as “a great idea.” She said that the concept was an important one in terms of supporting rural communities and rural businesses. “I thought it was a great way to give someone a token of appreciation. It’s great that Kevin is looking at rural areas, Boyle is a beautiful town with a lot to offer,” she said Brontie started in June of 2025, with two locations in Maynooth and Leixlip. Boyle now becomes the third location. “I was looking for a town outside of Kildare, which had a lot of history and heritage. I was also looking for similar cafes to the ones in Kildare,” Kevin told the Roscommon Herald.

Leading up to the Christmas period, he is looking for independent local businesses who are interested in listing their products on Brontie. “We will try to get into the hamper space leading up to the Christmas period. If there are any independent business owners in Roscommon interested in listing on Brontie, we would be more than welcome to facilitate them. There is an option on our website to get involved,” he said.

The idea came about when Kevin spent time in South Korea. “Gifting is a big part of their daily culture. People would generally gift each other to say thank you for something or to congratulate you on birthday for example. When I came back from Korea, I noticed there was nothing like this in the Irish market, so I wanted to bring this part of Korea back to Ireland with me,” he said.

Kevin would like to see Brontie become a national gifting platform. “Maybe someone can’t afford a €50 bouquet of flowers, but they can afford a €4 coffee,” he said.