
Jamie-Lee O'Donnell joins cast of new BBC comedy being filmed in Dublin
The actor, who shot to fame in the hit series Derry Girls, will star alongside the likes of Alex Lawther and Laurie Kynaston in Leonard and Hungry Paul.
Filming has now begun on the six-part series being produced by Subotica for the BBC, which is based on the best-selling debut novel of the same name by Irish author Rónán Hession.
Laurie Kynaston, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell and Alex Lawther star in Leonard and Hungry Paul
The story, which has been adapted by writers Richie Conroy and Mark Hodkinson, follows two board-gaming friends as they meander through life in their leafy suburban neighbourhood.
'At a time when most shows involve dragons, detectives, or existential dread, Leonard and Hungry Paul takes a slower route - through kindness, the quiet gravity of small things, and the occasional game of backgammon,' director Andrew Chaplin says of the show.
'Which is proof that not all heroes shout - some just know when to stay quiet.'
Hession said he is 'delighted' to see his book adapted for the screen.
'It's a real privilege as a writer to see my work being brought to life in a different creative form,' he explained.
Eddie Doyle, Senior Head of Content Commissioning for BBC Northern Ireland, says the series 'promises something special'.
'It is full of charm and poignant moments that encapsulate ordinary life,' he adds.
'With a stellar cast bringing this acclaimed novel to the screen, it will make an exciting addition to BBC Northern Ireland's offering this year.'
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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
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Habib arrived in Ireland in late 2021, making his first 'pilgrimage' from Dublin to Cork, to Izz Cafe. 'I was born a refugee in Gaza,' says Habib. 'Everywhere I've lived, I've been a refugee: Palestine, Greece, Ireland. March 25, 2022, was my first visit as a customer. I had heard about it and did my research and found they had my favourite dishes there, za'atar manaeesh [flatbread] — and Palestinian coffee. In my first hour in Cork, I had to find the cafe — and it was perfect. I couldn't express my feelings about trying the coffee for the first time since I left Gaza. "Six years without our own coffee. It's mad. [Izz Cafe] was amazing.' Eman gently prods: 'Tell us about your feeling when you first opened the door.' 'In our country,' says Habib, 'we used to smell the manaeesh from far away, which brings a feeling from the nose to the soul. Ireland smells different and then smelling the manaeesh … it makes you feel like home, to have the perfect coffee, the perfect manaeesh. Za'atar manaeesh is not just a meal, it's identity, it's the most beautiful thing. I said, 'oh, I'll spend all my money here and so I planned to work in the kitchen and then everything will be free'.' 'You smell the mountains,' says Izz, 'you smell the countryside, you smell Palestine.' Chef Habib Al Ostaz reads from Jibrin, the new cookery book co-authored with Izz and Eman Alkarajeh, at Izz Café, Cork City. Picture Chani Anderson. Habib began cooking in the asylum centre in Greece, during the pandemic: 'I started doing recipes, watching YouTube and I made my own setup in the kitchen. And I loved it. 'It became my favourite thing to do. I didn't cook as a child because my mom wouldn't let anybody get into the kitchen. And that's the mom's tradition in the Middle East.' Habib waxes lyrical about favourite childhood dishes before talking about the melange of regional variations to be found in Gaza: 'Because most are refugees, they bring together recipes from different cities, so there are lots of options, different recipes, and you could even find in the same house [shared between several families], let's say, magloubeh [rice, meat and veg in a single pot, inverted on to a large serving dish]. For example, if you are married to a woman from a different city and your brother's wife is from another city, they both have different ways, both delicious but both different. Some use cauliflower, some use aubergine, some use lamb, some prefer it with chicken.' Izz says: 'And Habib shared his recipe for sumagiyya [beef or lamb sumac stew] which I used to hear about growing up in the West Bank.' 'It was my grandmother's recipe,' says Habib, 'one of the most traditional recipes in Gaza and really hard to make. So that's why I did my research, YouTube, reading books, asking friends, then putting my own touch on it and it was successful.' A Palestinian cake prepared at Izz Café, Cork City, from one of the recipes featured in Jibrin. Picture Chani Anderson. 'I am still stateless' Habib is a gentle, even shy soul, polite, softly spoken, although he has a wicked sense of humour, taking great delight in embellishing for comic effect a tale of 'stealing' coffee cake from the cafe that has the four of us falling around with laughter. Yet, those same eyes, just a moment ago glinting with mischief, cloud over with pain and sadness as he talks of his family still trapped in Gaza. How are they? 'Hungry,' says Habib. 'I find it hard, really hard to ask them about the current situation — or even to talk to them. I know how hard it has been for two years — how can I still ask every day, how are you? It's ridiculous. When I call, I make sure that they're still alive and that's it. I feel very guilty, making food in a place where food and everything else is so easy to get while they cannot. Even if I send money, food is too expensive. And you cannot protect them — I cannot handle that. "They love to hear about me. They say, if you are OK, we are OK. And that's … It just doesn't make any sense, I still feel [their situation] in my heart. They can't feel safe like I do just walking in the street. In the market, I think about how they can't go to the market. Even if they do, there is no market, nothing to buy. "The most painful thing is we are all on the same planet but in an absolutely different situation. I haven't seen them in nine years now, and I want to see them again.' 'And we are his family as well,' says Eman softly. 'When I moved to Ireland,' says Habib, 'and found all the [Palestinian] flags everywhere, it made me feel more comfortable. I didn't know it then but I am the luckiest man on earth — they moved me to Cork and I didn't know that I would be in this restaurant with these people, but that's God's plan, and I'm so thankful — but I am still stateless.' A glimpse into the kitchen at Izz Café, Cork City, as Iman Alkarajeh prepares a traditional Palestinian cake featured in Jibrin. Picture Chani Anderson In a few days, Izz will return to the West Bank to see family. But even as an Irish citizen since 2023, Israeli authorities still impose stringent restrictions on entry. Even the book's title could prove contentious. 'I think they are not happy with the name,' says Eman, 'Jibrin was [the first Palestinian town occupied by the Israelis in 1948] where my family came from [before they were forced into exile in Jordan].' While they dream of peace, freedom, and sovereignty for Palestine, Izz and Eman view Cork as home. 'Cork people are very supportive,' says Izz, 'very kind, very social. They approach you. They tend to hear you, your stories, your pains, and the Palestinian cause makes them even more engaging because it touches their humanity, so you feel them close to your heart. Becoming Irish citizens has been one of the most transformative experiences in our lives — not just legally, but emotionally and culturally as well... In Cork, we celebrate every aspect of our Palestinian heritage openly which amazes people in Palestine. People here have embraced us wholeheartedly, giving us space to be ourselves fully. 'This is why we fell in love with Cork and we feel we want to give back even more, to the community." Jibrin, the new cookery book by Izz and Eman Alkarajeh and chef Habib Al Ostaz, pictured alongside freshly made dishes from the book at Izz Café, Cork City. Picture Chani Anderson.