All About Cork: Bringing a taste of Mexico to the streets of Ballincollig

For the past nine months, a tiny food truck has been bringing the flavours of Mexico to Ballincollig, and even the recent freezing weather couldn’t keep Kamil Lisowski from the labour of love that is Lucha Libre.

On Saturday afternoon, in his regular spot between ‘the old Aldi’ and Mr Price, the Polish-born chef was working in clouds of steam and dishing out burritos and nachos to grateful customers even as temperatures plummeted in the brief respite between Storm Éowyn and Storm Herminia.

A native of Bydgoszcz in northern Poland, Mr Lisowski has been a chef since he was 16, moving to Cork in 2005 after a stint in London, and here he served for 17 years as head chef in Café Mexicana.

He lives in Blackpool with his wife Marta and their two teenage children.

Striking out on his own last year, he bought a truck and his business has been going strong since.

According to Mr Lisowski, Mexican food has proven extremely popular in the village, with burritos, loco fries, taco fries, and Chimichurri steak sandwiches the best-selling items on his menu.

“I’m here Thursday, 12pm to 5pm, Friday and Saturday 12pm to 7pm, and Sunday 12pm to 5pm, and in summer I’m open five days, Wednesday to Sunday,” he said.

“I’m here prepping from 9pm in the mornings, and with the clean-up after work, it’s usually after 8pm when I get away.

“At the start it was hard, but Ballincollig people are very kind, and now I have customers coming from all over. I have one customer who drives from Skibbereen to taste my food.”

Mr Lisowski said his truck is always parked in the same place, except when he moves it to cater for private functions and festivals.

Lucha Libre is open from Thursday to Sunday every week and is available to cater for private functions.

For menus and further information, see Lucha Libre on Facebook, and on Deliveroo, or call Kamil on 085 1200989.

Bookshop ‘on holidays’

Independent Ballincollig bookshop Leaf and Bower, which has celebrated its first year, is taking a two-week break. The shop will reopen on Monday, February 10.

In a social-media post, Leaf and Bower proprietor Fiona Farrell said: “I shall use the time wisely, to read many, many books, and plan some fabulous events for all you lovely people.”

Dripsey native Ms Farrell had worked in the books business for nearly two decades and had always dreamed of owning her own bookshop.

She told The Echo in September that surviving cancer five years ago gave her the spur she needed to strike out on her own, setting up shop on Ballincollig’s main street.

The bookshop’s many friends won’t begrudge her the break, but will look forward to the reopening.

Marie Keating mobile unit visit

The Ballincollig Resource Centre is set to host a visit from the Marie Keating mobile unit on Tuesday, February 18, from 10.30am to 3.30pm.

All are welcome to visit and to speak with one of the specialist-trained nurses.

Founded 23 years ago, the Marie Keating Foundation says its key role is to promote life-saving messages on cancer prevention and early detection to as many people as possible.

During their visit to Ballincollig, the foundation’s nurses will provide information relating to cancer prevention.

They will also have information on the most common cancers in Ireland and signs and symptoms to look out for.

Marie Keating Foundation offers a free service, and its nurses are happy to speak to individuals or small groups and answer any questions they may have.

However, people are asked to please note that no cancer screening is provided.

Iarla Ó Lionáird and Tim Edey to play The White Horse

Musicians Iarla Ó Lionáird and Tim Edey are to play Ballincollig’s The White Horse in March.

Iarla O Lionaird has a long career in music, coming to notice with an early recording of ‘Aisling Gheal’ as a boy, and recording with Crash Ensemble and Alarm Will Sound.

Born and bred in the West Cork Gaeltacht of Cuil Aodha, he had Seán Ó Riada as a neighbour and early influence.

A twice Grammy-nominated artist, Mr O Lionaird has performed and recorded with Peter Gabriel, Nick Cave, Robert Plant, and Sinead O’Connor. He is the vocalist with the critically acclaimed The Gloaming.

Tim Edey has twice been BBC musician of the year, and has toured the world and recorded with most of the big names in Celtic/contemporary roots music, including The Chieftains, Christy Moore, Sharon Shannon, Altan, Seamus Begley, Liam Ó Maonlaí, Shaun Davey, Mary Black, and Frankie Gavin.

Iarla Ó Lionáird and Tim Edey play The White Horse at 8.30pm on Friday, March 14.

For booking information, see whitehorse.ie.

Ballincollig GAA Club walks

Ballincollig GAA Club’s weekly Ireland Lights Up walks continue to draw a good turnout, with a strong showing from juvenile members and their parents.

The walks will continue for the next few Wednesdays, starting at 7.30pm at the club dressing rooms. There is also time to sign up to the Irish Life MyLife App for the Every Step Counts challenge, which runs separately.

Just download the app and register with Ballincollig GAA under ‘the Munster challenge’.

Weekly walk-and-talk group

Beginning this Wednesday, January 29, Ballincollig Family Resource Centre is hosting a weekly walk-and-talk group.

Starting each Wednesday at 10am at the resource centre reception area, the group is open to all, and welcomes people of all levels of fitness, with a focus on social interaction.

Call 021 4876295, or email info@ballicolligfrc.org.

Weekly Ballincollig GAA lottery

The numbers drawn in the Ballincollig GAA Club weekly lottery, on Thursday, January 24, were 11, 15, 23, and 24.

While there was no winner of the €7,600 jackpot, there were three lucky dip consolation prizes, with €100 going to Robert Murphy, €50 to Ciara Dwyer, and €50 to Seán McSweeney.

The club is migrating its club lottery from its previous host to its club platform, ClubZap.

The new system mirrors the previous one and is played with 36 numbers, and all players with remaining credit have been moved across with their same numbers, plus their remaining credits.

For further information, see ballincolliggaa.clubzap.com. The next draw is scheduled for Thursday evening, January 30, with the jackpot now standing at €7,600.

For details on how to enter the weekly draw, see the club’s social-media pages.

Have Ballincollig news to share? Contact donal.okeeffe@theecho.ie