There's a new food truck in Cork bringing a taste of Syria Leeside

SYRIAN-born Abdul Alhasan, 28, is sharing his passion for authentic Syrian falafel with the people of Cork.

On St. Patrick’s Day, people across the world spend it celebrating with great food and drink. This St Patrick’s Day was particularly special for Abdul, where, following a soft launch for a few weeks, he officially opened his business, Cork Falafel.

Abdul converted the refrigerated goods truck into his food truck - renovating the truck over time himself, to become what it is today. This included creating a window on the side to serve customers through, a space to cook and prepare the food, and enough storage space for his equipment and ingredients.

Inspired by restaurants such as Izz Café in Cork city, Abdul set out on this adventure to bring authentic Syrian food to the people of Cork. His passion for his culture is poured into his food, which he makes from scratch every morning.

Upon meeting with Abdul, his passion for his business and sharing his culture with the Irish people is very clear. His falafel and spicy chips are particularly popular.

His food truck can be found in Owenabue car park in Carrigaline -across from the playground - from Wednesday to Saturday. During the warmer months, Cork Falafel will be located in Fountainstown beach on the weekends. Abdul is also hoping to share his food with the people of Passage West and Crosshaven.

Two years ago, Abdul, found refuge in Ireland after living in Beirut, Lebanon for 12 years, alongside his wife and their three daughters aged eight, seven and five.

In Lebanon, Abdul spent those 12 years working as an expert stone mason, from which he has sustained injuries to his back.

They waited for three years seeking refuge outside of Lebanon. This was a very hard time for them, as they waited patiently for the chance to find a safer place to call home.

Abdul and his family eventually found refuge in Ireland with the help of the Irish Refugee Resettlement Programme, which is a programme run by the HSE in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This programme is the voluntary transfer of refugees from the country where they are registered to another country that agrees to admit them as refugees.

Abdul and his family lived in a hotel in Dungarvan, Waterford, for nine months before being given housing in Carrigaline.

Before moving to Ireland, Abdul was hoping for a safe future for himself and his family. When given the opportunity to live in Ireland, Abdul was uncertain, never having heard of this country before and he did not speak a word of English.

Fortunately, the people of Ireland have been very welcoming to Abdul and his family.

He has found that the best way to learn English is by talking to people. This is a way of learning that brings him joy as he loves talking to others.

The support Abdul and his family have been receiving from the community of Carrigaline has been heart-warming for them. They were welcomed with open arms and have become very happy here.

The help of one particular individual has meant a great deal to Abdul, a man named Chris O’Brien.

Chris works in the Family Resource Centre in Carrigaline and also has experience helping with organisations such as farmers’ markets. With this knowledge, Chris was able to guide Abdul through the steps of starting a food business in Ireland.

When speaking about Abdul, Chris said “he is a decent family man, just trying to make a difference”.

In his spare time, Abdul volunteered with Carrigaline Tidy Towns for a year, where he spent his time cleaning the community and arranging flowers around the town. Contributing to his new community in such a way was an experience that Abdul enjoyed being a part of.

“I was very happy with Tidy Towns, and I made a lot of friends there.”

Cllr Jack White, who was introduced to Abdul through his work with Tidy Towns, praised Abdul for taking this step to open his own business and to share his culture with the people of Cork.

“I have huge admiration for him coming to Ireland for a better life and getting involved with the community here in Carrigaline.

“We are so fortunate to have people like him adding to our food culture and society with new fresh ideas from places like Syria.”

Food has a great way of bringing people together, it can bring joy and can educate people on the culture of others. Abdul’s goal is to grow his business by updating his truck so he can continue to bring people joy and share his culture through his passion, food!