Sphere 17 Priorswood played host to the launch of A Taste of Home, a collection of recipes from around the world created by refugees living in Northeast Dublin, in celebration of Refugee Week Ireland 2024.

When people are far from home, there is much that they miss: family, friends, food, culture. For refugees living in direct provision, while meals are provided, they have no opportunity to cook their own food, to use ingredients and flavours from home.

Northside Partnership, in conjunction with Artane Family Resource Centre previously, and currently with Sphere 17 and Coolock Community College, have hosted cooking clubs to enable refugees to come together to prepare their own food. The recipes they brought to the clubs were so tasty, they had to be shared.

Our Local Development and our Health and Wellbeing Teams worked with mentors Mary Doheny and Adrienne Hayes, and the cookery club members to create A Taste of Home: a box of recipe cards from the great meals they cooked and shared.

At the launch of A Taste of Home, Amaka, who works with the Irish Refugee Council, shared her experience:

“Refugees are not just statistics or headlines. They are individuals with dreams, talents and aspirations,” she continued. “Each refugee has a unique story of loss, hardship and hope. Their journeys are a testament to enduring human spirit and the universal desire for safety, dignity and a chance to rebuild.”

The launch brought together members of a number of our cooking clubs, who shared stories and food in a community far from home.

We will continue to add recipes to A Taste of Home and plan to host the recipes on this website shortly.