'It’s too dangerous': Muslim Sisters of Eire not opening Dublin street cafe tonight
Coolock native Lorraine O’Connor, founder of Muslim Sisters of Éire. Picture: Andres Poveda
The Muslim Sisters of Eire will not open their street cafe on Dublin’s O’Connell St tonight, following Thursday's violence in the city.
The charity, which runs an empowerment programme for the homeless, hands out food and clothing every Friday outside the GPO.
However, following Thursday's riots in the city which resulted in 34 arrests, the group said they have been advised not to open amid concerns of more violence.
The violence flared up following a knife attack in the city centre in which three young children were injured.
Speaking to the , Lorraine O’Connor said: “We can’t open and we are devastated over it.
“But it’s too dangerous for us. We go out there every Friday to help but our clients are from all over the world. We have Muslims and Eastern Europeans. We are a target and we’ve been told that by the gardaí, unfortunately. It’s a hostile situation anyway because people are desperate for food and help.
“We cannot take the risk by opening after what happened last night. We are volunteers and safety comes first. The safety of our volunteers and the safety of our clients is paramount.
“But it also means that our clients who are in desperate need, with numbers asking for help on the rise, will lose out.
“We are a hotspot. We are just a target. So we can’t do this, we will have to wait for further guidance from the gardaí.
She said "there are fears of more violence" so they will not be there today or tonight.
Ms O’Connor from Coolock, north Dublin, founded the Muslim Sisters of Eire in 2010 and set up the street cafe seven years ago.
Since covid they are handing out between 500 and 600 meals every Friday night, all of which are donated to the charity.
The group has apologised to their clients online for the temporary closure which they said was made with “a heavy heart”.
