Ukrainian food festival served up a big ‘thank you’ to Carlow
The Ukrainian food went down a treat
The Festival of Ukrainian National Cuisine took place at The Exchange in Potato Market in Carlow town centre on Sunday 12 January with a large number of Carlow locals and Ukrainian families in attendance.
On a cold winter’s afternoon, hungry customers got in line as stall holders served up traditional Ukrainian fare including (savoury filled dumplings) and (crêpes filled with cottage cheese and cherries). All funds raised by the event are going to St Clare’s Hospitality Kitchen, St Mary’s Church of Ireland, and the Irish Cancer Society.
The afternoon was organised by the Ukrainian families currently living in what was Tougher’s Restaurant. The former restaurant, located on the outskirts of Carlow town, was converted in 2022 to accommodate Ukrainian refugees.
However, residents were informed on 12 December 2024 by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth that the accommodation centre would be closing due to fire safety concerns and initially they were given just days to vacate. With support from various Carlow organisations and townspeople, the families have protested this order and are calling for an extension to their stay.
“We decided to organise a food festival as a way to say thank you to all Irish people who supported us in our struggle in December. In turn, we wanted to support some local organisations,” said Olha Chorna, who was the main organiser of the food festival, alongside her husband Temur.
Chorna explained that the food festival was an initiative to help Carlovians “understand that we want and are trying to socialise in a town that we and our children really like”.
“We served Ukrainian dumplings filled with potatoes, cabbage, potatoes and meat, crêpes with cherries, cottage cheese and poppy seeds, cabbage rolls with rice and meat, barbecue, pilaf, potato pies, meat pies, cabbage pies, honey cakes and some other Ukrainian sweets.
“Many locals visited the festival and tried Ukrainian food for the first time. Many of them came up for more – two or even three times – because they really liked the food,” she added.
Reverend Paul Fitzpatrick from St Mary’s Church was in attendance, noting the large crowd that flocked to the food stalls and estimating that there were between 70 and 100 people there when he arrived.
“The Ukrainian community, some of whom I’ve got to know very well, are very conscious of the support that they have received, and it was their way of saying thank you to Carlow and those groups that helped out,” said Rev Fitzpatrick.
“Like so many others, being an advocate of the Ukrainian families at Tougher’s, I have written to local authorities, to the Department of Justice, and Roderic O’Gorman, the minister for children, equality, disability, integration and youth of Ireland’s department as well,” he explained.
“We’re trying to support them and trying to help, and hoping that families that would want to stay in Carlow would be encouraged, assisted and helped to remain in Carlow.”
