It’s the end of an era…  Tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon, Tegan will pour her last cup of coffee as the ‘Little Boss’ of The Dock.

I almost don’t know how to put into words how much Tegan means to all of us here in The Dock, and how much we will miss her as she embarks on adventures new.  It is absolutely no exaggeration to say that Dock Cafe would not exist without her.

From helping run ‘deckchair cafes’ in the open air before the Meanwhile Lease existed, to painting the display boards for the art in that frantic week before Eamonn Day, to cutting the ribbon on our first day of business, to gathering the first teams of Dock volunteers, to naming Kate and Leo (the Dock goldfish), to pouring literally thousands of cups of coffee, welcoming thousands of visitors, listening to thousands of stories, learning thousands of names, and (I truly believe) having an impact on thousands of lives with her friendship, craic, warmth and faithfulness – we’ll never know all the ways in which Tegan has made a difference in this place.

So be sure to call in tomorrow and get her to pour you one more cuppa.  And keep the evening of Saturday 8th March free for an event where we’ll all get the chance to thank her for being at the absolute centre of Life in the Titanic Quarter.

(And PS – anyone else nerdy enough to recognise the reference in the title? If so, I salute you!)