Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

CHINATOWN:An explosion of immigrants from halfway across the world has totally transformed a neglected inner-city area into a vibrant, bustling street scene that could just as easily be New York, San Francisco or London, as Dublin. Welcome to Chinatown, writes Claire Ryan 

THERE ARE an estimated 60,000 Chinese people in Ireland, with the vast majority working or studying in the capital. With so many young people looking for a "taste of home", the market for authentic Chinese restaurants in Dublin is enormous. Thanks to the influx of immigrants from every corner of Asia, Parnell Street has been slowly transformed into Dublin's very own Chinatown. It's been a few years coming, but now all that remains is for Dublin City Council - and perhaps Bord Fáilte - to acknowledge the ebullience of the culture and erect an appropriate gateway.