The latest episode of PalCast went live and brought a moving story from Gaza to Ireland. The hosts, Yousef and Tony, had a thoughtful conversation with Ayat Abuhelal, a poet, writer, translator, and student of English literature. Her remark, “It was almost 2026, but it was still October 2023 for her,” set the tone for the episode. She explained how that month shaped her life in ways that followed her far beyond home.
Ayat was born and raised in Gaza and had been evacuated to Ireland, where she continued her BA studies online while preparing to start her MA in Dublin. She described the strain of living between two worlds. She spoke of hope, loss, and the family she left behind. When she left Gaza, she also left behind a part of herself in a city reduced to ruins. While her new classmates talked about the coming year, she felt stuck in a past marked by fear and grief.
During the interview, she reported on the challenges that shaped her journey. She had been evacuated in late August 2025 with a group of students after receiving a scholarship to UCD. Her family had moved about 11 times during the war in search of safety. She spoke about hunger, guilt, and the weight of watching loved ones face danger while she tried to settle into a new life. She also drew a link between Gaza’s suffering and the Irish famine, pointing to a shared sense of struggle that shaped her bond with her new community.
Ayat said that she hoped her education would help her return one day and make a real change in Gaza. She felt divided between two places, yet she carried a strong sense of duty toward those who remained at home. She wanted to represent their truth with care and honesty. Listeners can hear the full story on the new episode of PalCast, now available on Apple and Spotify.