Dublin thoughts

It has been some time since I posted here, due to work and family reasons. Dublin continues to change and develop for the better, and is enhanced by the wide variety of people living there, nationals and non-nationals. For this post I have decided to highlight something common to both - food! This picture has been deliberately chosen - it's a relatively new Fast food takeway in Dublin's suburbs, in this instance in Walkinstown, specifically the Cromwellsfort Road in D12. Up to March 2026 this premises was owned and operated by the long-established Borza family, who still have a takeaway on Perrystown Road, just over a kilometer away. The Cromwellsfort Road branch served a wide range of houses, including the famous "Musical Roads". These Dublin Corporation housing schemes began in the 1950s and were built in the following decades, transforming the area from rural farmland (famously, the nearby CherryTree roundabout had a living farmhouse in its middle as construction began of the roundabout!). [pictured below: Formerly the Borza takeaway, now "fast food take away". Mrs Borza, who ran the takeway for decades, is as Dublin as they come, as are her childen and relatives. Delve into their proud family history (previously displayed in panels in the shop) and you will see that they originated, along with several other Italian families providing food in Dublin and the country, from a relatively compact area of Italy centered around Frosinone, being in Lazio (and not far from Rome). Like all good immigrants, including the Irish abroad, these families have gradually assimilated into Irish culture, while keeping their own traditions alive. More importantly, they have provided the country with service, including vital tax and insurance constributions. What can we learn from the issues facing our immigrants? Firstly, the vast majority want to live and work in peace, contributing to the country and helping the economy. They have been accepted by Irish people, serving in healthcare, service industries and the like. Many of these immigrants are highly qualified in their own countries, but it is not always straightforward to convert such qualifications to irish standards. Thus, many take the more menial jobs available and work quietly behind the scenes. What about their religion, I hear some ask? The Borzas and their relatives came from a Catholic country and that would have helped them assimilate. Many of the modern immigrants are from muslim countries that some Irish people see as inconpatible with Irish Catholicism. My answer to that is twofold - firstly, our Constitution has long protected the right of religious freedom and had plenty of practice with the Protestant minority in the Republic, who have been allowed to practise their faith independently and without influence. Secondly, modern Ireland is a pluralist, multicultural society, where people of all faiths and backgrounds co-exist in peace and harmony. While there have been some awful scenes involving racial discrimination, the overwhelming majority of people in Ireland accept immigrants and work and live with them on a daily basis. Finally, the countrhy does have a housing issue and that must be addressed urgently. The current coalition of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have vested interests in the private property market, and are unwilling to tackle the issue for fear of upsetting investors. It has to change - we need to build and, in some instances, finish uncompleted social housing schemes. The historic foresight of the Corporation who built the Musical Roads and the like need to be urgently reflected by this government in the outskirts of Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow. [picture below from Google Street view]: