More than any street in Dublin, Parnell Street reflects a changing Ireland, catering for Chinese and African immigrant families.
In the decade between 1995 and 2005 the population living and working in Dublin grew to one million people and the physical appearance of the city changed too. Economic prosperity brought new people and Parnell Street located on Dublin's northside is home to a thriving immigrant community.
For years Parnell Street has been synonymous with traders from various countries, mainly Africa and Asia. The street is home to African hair braiding salons and barber shops. Barber Prince has been in Parnell Street since 2000. He cuts hair for all nationalities including Irish people on their way to football matches in Croke Park.
Initially there were attacks on the immigrants and their shops,
But now this street is getting better than before.
Central to Parnell Street is the range of food available with a plethora cafes supermarkets and small restaurants. They include Han Yang the first authentic Korean restaurant in Ireland where people are encouraged to cook their own food. The restaurant is predominantly frequented by the Chinese community.
While change is afoot, some original businesses are still trading on Parnell Street. These include Paddy’s Pet Shop and the oldest newsagent in Ireland Lucky Duffy’s.
Lucky Duffy’s first opened in 1902 and is run by Patricia Duffy, the third generation of her family to work in the newsagent. She has seen big changes to the area over the years,
It’s like Chinatown now, a few years ago it was little Africa, we’ve all kinds, its like the United Nations so we have a variety of everything.
This is the first edition of 'Capital D’, a magazine-style current affairs series featuring stories about Dublin, it’s people, it’s culture and its traditions.
This episode of ‘Capital D’ was broadcast on 29 September 2005. The reporter is Anne Cassin.
