Clonskeagh Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre

My friend lives in the area, so when I visited we decided to grab a quick bite to eat here instead of venturing onto the UCD campus or taking a bus elsewhere.

The food is set up a bit like a buffet and you can also order items off the menu that aren't set out. The food was pretty basic middle eastern fare, but nothing to write home about. Wasn't bad, but not somewhere I'd go out of the way to eat at again.

Downstairs in the ICC is a canteen style restaurant which is open to the public. The menu is mostly Arabic, Pakistani and broadly middle-Eastern, but there are also choices for the less adventurous diner. Alongside various fresh curries are the usual suspects like chicken burgers and steaks. There's also a salad bar of freshly prepared hummus, couscous and other favourites.

What stands out about this food is how fresh it is. I had great falafel which tasted so good, and was served with fresh salad, two great sauces and a side of chips. This place is perfect for lunch and they have very reasonable meal deals usually a main with chips or rice and a drink for 7 or 8 euro.

The restaurant itself, though canteen style, certainly has an element of class about it. It's a bright and airy room with comfortable chairs and tables. I'd certainly recommend it for lunch

The food choices at UCD are pitiable. I like sandwiches, but there's only so much a man can take. Dry, flavorless sandwiches are what define most of UCD's cuisine.

The canteen at the ICC (also called the "Olive Tree Restaurant") is a welcome respite from the monotonous selection at UCD. You can easily walk/bike here from UCD. The usual fast food fare is featured here: hamburgers, chips, chicken burgers, etc.

But the middle-eastern fare was pretty good. I ordered the falafel, and it was made fresh with a side of chips and a can of coke. The chips were not greasy at all: done absolutely perfectly. Everything was prepared tastefully and with care. The falafel was cut up into smaller pieces so they didn't spill out of the pita. The sauce was drizzled on with just the right amount; it wasn't squirted upon the food with abandon. My companions got the curry, and they seemed happy.

Service was friendly, and the staff were careful to ask what condiments I wanted in my food. The price was great. It is a canteen, so don't expect a luxurious setting. But it's an interesting place to go to. The mosque is architecturally beautiful, and you'll see a mixture of UCD staff and Islamic followers enjoying a great meal at a great price.

Mix of middle eastern and Asian food in a canteen style setup. Western style burger and chips options available too if that's your thing... I tried the falafel the last time, it was decent enough and good value.

Staff are friendly and there is a well stocked market next door too.

The Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) is a religious and community center that offers a wide variety of services and events that are open to the public while providing a gathering place for Islamic peoples. I first found ICCI after I traveled to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in January 2014 and wanted to learn more about the Islamic culture and the fast pace of change taking place in the UAE. Gradually, I thought about relocating to the UAE, and I believe that it is responsible for one to learn about the culture and language of a very different part of the world before moving there.

In May, I attended to conferences at the Centre: "Muslim and Non-Muslim Relations," and "Great Muslim Women from History." I didn't know exactly where I was going, what to expect, or whether I would be welcomed. I found the lovely Mosque and Centre quite easily, was welcomed warmly and graciously, and amended my thoughts about what would be featured at the conferences.

As someone with a largely academic background, I thought of a "conference" as an academic exercise, but it was not. This is a religious and community center with a mission of "Dawah," which, in my rudimentary understanding, I'll translate as spreading of the word of Islam. Therefore, it is not surprising that there was a heavy emphasis on the Quran. I don't know yet whether this is something that I might expect in the UAE, should I find employment there, but I found that it was useful for me to start to learn more about the thought and belief of Islamic cultures.

The conference hall was well-organized and provided comfortable seating. At both conferences, there was an option to ask for headphones through which a translator could provide an alternative to the speaker's language (either Arabic or English). There were plenty of "helpers" to answer questions or direct one to a restroom. Thoughtfully, for both conferences, there were refreshments provided, and for the Women's Conference, for just a few euros (I can't quite recall now whether I paid €3 or €5), a hot curry lunch prepared by the tasty ICCI restaurant/cafe kitchen was included in addition to light refreshments.

Aside from conferences and the central prayer hall, the Centre also offers a creche (childcare facility), marriage and mortuary services, translation, book bazaars, a barber/hairdresser, and instruction for children and Arabic language classes for adults.

Because I am interested in learning Arabic, I checked around Dublin, but not surprisingly, there is a much greater emphasis here on English language schools than Arabic. ICCI, however, provides the most affordable course that I found in Dublin. I met with the instructor, Dr Ali Selim, and although I am an introductory learner, he was very encouraging. When he told me that he would like to see me join the class (which runs from September through May), I honestly felt welcomed, and if I am still in Dublin, I plan to take part in the course. Dr. Selim is a highly accomplished practitioner who teaches Arabic and other topics at top Irish universities (at much higher rates than you will pay at ICCI).

Altogether, I am very thankful for the services and generosity at ICCI, and for the glimpse into Islamic beliefs, customs, and hospitality that I have experienced there.

This place is so cool! It is an Islamic Mosque/Cultural Centre and Restaurant all rolled into one! I was with my class here on a school tour for my religion project and our tour guide was extremely nice, told us loads about the Mosque, the Cultural Background and the History of Islam. Overall amazing place not just for food and might I just add the Architecture is just beautiful!

In the spirit of illuminating the hidden gems of Dublin's culinary landscape, I give to you loyal and deserving Qyper, the Clonskeagh Mosque and Cultural Centre. You don't have to Muslim to go there, the same way you don't have to be Muslim to love hummous, olives and other fine foods of middle eastern cuisine. Quite the contrary in fact, as it's cultural centre, they like to promote integration and an appreciation of their culture etc. so Christians are more than welcome here. The Olive Tree (Halal) Restaurant is canteen style, with wonderful middle eastern specialties at a reasonable cost. There's also a shop, which stocks a marvelous selection of spices and olives at wholesale prices.