くつろぎNeko · Carlow
Light. Texture.
A place shaped by hand.
Blossoms overhead. Irish timber at your table. A personal detail in every corner.
時を重ねてThe yew at NEKO · Carlow
Nature wrote the story.
We set the table.
A real Irish yew trunk. A naturally hollow heart.
An extraordinary setting for an evening at NEKO.
Look a little closer
Yes, the wood is real.
The deep folds, flowing grain and hollow interior belong to the yew itself. Simon applied resin as a protective finish, giving the surface its distinctive sheen. The cherry blossoms are decorative; beneath them is genuine Irish yew wood.
Discover the story inside the tree →
The memory of wood
A hollow heart.
A remarkable life.
A yew can continue living as its older inner wood decays and hollows. That extraordinary natural process leaves cavities, folds and sculptural surfaces — the details you can see in NEKO’s preserved trunk.
Look beyond the blossom canopy. Follow the grain down the trunk, into the openings, and around the uneven edges. This is where the story becomes visible.
Scotland’s Yew Tree Heritage Initiative explains that trunk hollowing can begin at around this age. It is not a fixed threshold or a way to date this particular trunk.
Read the yew age guide ↗
Nature & handwork
Real wood.
A considered finish.
Its glossy surface sometimes makes guests ask whether the tree is artificial. The shine comes from the resin Simon applied to protect the wood. The trunk underneath is real, with the irregular grain and natural cavities retained.
The preserved yew and decorative blossom canopy bring Irish material and Japanese-inspired atmosphere together in one distinctive centrepiece.
What do we know about its age?
NEKO describes the yew as approximately 500 years old. This is an owner-provided estimate, not an independently verified date. Hollowing is part of a yew’s natural development, but a cavity alone cannot establish its age.
ここでしか出会えない
Come for dinner.
Leave with a story.
Discover the yew in person at 20 Dublin Street, Carlow.
Book your NEKO eveningてしごとIrish solid wood · Made by Simon
The art beneath
your fingertips.
Natural edges, expressive grain and flowing resin. Simon makes Neko’s tables by hand, giving each piece its own character.
おもてなし
A moment
for tea.
Simon brought this collection of cast-iron teapots back from Japan. Their colours and textures sit alongside the wood and resin he shaped for Neko’s tables.
20 Dublin Street · Carlow
A colourful corner.
A warm welcome.
Look for the orange frontage and the NEKO sign on Dublin Street. Step inside for Asian flavours, Irish timber and a dining room shaped by hand.
またね
We’ll see you
at Neko.
Opening hours
Mon–Sat 12:30–22:00Sun 13:00–22:00