Ireland’s homelessness crisis: Third ‘rough sleeper’ is found dead

Sep 2, 2017

According to emerging reports, a woman, who had been sleeping rough in Co Cork, has been found dead this morning.

The woman, who is believed to be in her thirties, was sleeping in a tent in Gilabbey Park in the south west of Cork city, and is understood to have been a client of Simon Community services.

Authorities are currently awaiting the result of a postmortem examination, but Gardaí are not treating the death as suspicious.

Earlier this week, two homeless people were found dead in separate incidents in Co Kildare and Dublin city-centre.

Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, came under fire in recent days after he paid tribute to Princess Diana on the 20th anniversary of her death, but failed to acknowledge the passing of a man on Suffolk Street and a young woman in a Co Kildare hotel.

Man found dead sleeping rough near Grafton Street this morning

Aug 31, 2017

by Amber Saunders

According to emerging reports this morning, a man, who had been sleeping rough near Dublin's most affluent shopping street, was found dead in the early hours of this morning.

The individual, who is believed to be in his 50s, had been sleeping outside the Superdry Store on Suffolk Street.

Emergency services were called to the scene at approximately 4am, but the individual was pronounced dead at the scene.

His remains were transferred to St James Hospital where it is understood a postmortem will take place today.

Gardai have confirmed that they are not treating the death as suspicious, and are currently preparing a report for the coroner's office.

The scene on Suffolk Street has been sealed off this morning.

TV3 set to air special documentary on the Apollo House this week

Entertainment

Feb 21, 2017

by Amber Saunders

Just before Christmas, The Apollo House office buildings in Dublin were occupied by nearly 90 homeless people.

The NAMA building provided food and shelter to those in need during the Christmas period, with people from all walks of life coming across the country to help out.

And with all of the occupiers being housed elsewhere, you could say that Ireland really came together to support these people.

Inside Apollo House, Thurs at 10 on TV3
The story of how a group of people took over a block, turning it into a shelter for the homeless. pic.twitter.com/Ba9VEZgJJR

— TV3 (@TV3Ireland) February 21, 2017

Now, TV3 are set to air a special documentary about exactly what happened inside that building.

Inside Apollo House – The Untold Story will air this Thursday, February 23, and will tell the inside story of how a group of people took over the office block and turned it into a shelter for those in need.

It will also feature candid interviews with key players such as Glen Hansard and Jim Sheridan.

Inside Apollo House – The Untold Story will air on TV3, this Thursday at 10pm.

This tragic post reveals the realities of having a homeless loved one

Lifestyle

Jan 6, 2017

by Staff Writer

Homelessness is a serious problem in Dublin, and it's one that many people choose to ignore.

However, the tides are turning, as people have been forced to pay attention to the plight of homeless people sleeping rough on Dublin's frosty streets as guerilla activist group Home Sweet Home battles to maintain control of Apollo House, an empty building which has become a safe haven for the homeless in recent weeks.

One Facebook page, Homeless Awareness, has been raising awareness about Dublin's crisis since 2014, but the creator of the page has just shared his experiences with having a homeless brother, and the tragic circumstances which led to his homeless status.

The post, which has been liked and shared hundreds of times, details the life of Darren, the page's founder, and his brother.

"This is my brother Shane. Shane has been homeless over 10 years battling a drug addiction, we both grew up in a middle class home fostered by a nice family."

"Me and my brother got fostered by a lovely family in Rathmines. I was aged three and my brother was four."

"My brother left at the age of 17 to go live with the Peter McVerry trust over in Ballymun by time he was 18 he was on heroin."

"I didn't know he was on the stuff till a few years later when people would tell me 'I seen your brother in town he didn't look the best he was on drugs!'"

Darren then shares his experiences with becoming homeless himself, after being kicked out of his foster home at age 18.

"When I was 18 got kicked out of my foster home and I was homeless for a few months sleeping on a friends sofa or sometimes in peoples sheds or the streets."

"I was so scared the first time I slept out on the streets of Dublin. It was the longest night ever walking around trying to find somewhere to sleep. It was hard."

@GeneKerrigan @simoncoveney
Walked around Dublin for about 6 hours. In all my life I have never seen so many people homeless. pic.twitter.com/211lW6on6v

— fraggle casper (@casper_fraggle) December 23, 2016

Thankfully, he has managed to turn his life around.

He is now in a stable relationship and has two children, all with a roof firmly over their heads.

However, there is a sense of guilt over the fact that he cannot take in his brother.

I have agree, the homeless issue needs to be dealt with! Let apollo house become a shelter in Dublin! #apollohouse

— Liam Davis (Lake) (@NatterIKH) December 23, 2016

"Before anyone says why don't you help him, take him in, I have done."

"But he has robbed me and I can't take that risk again of losing my home, but I've always done my best for my brother and any other homeless person out there."

Shane is still homeless and living on the streets but the author admits that he hasn't seen him for many months.

The post is gaining a plethora of sympathy in the comments, as people share their own personal stories of living with a homeless relative.

This isn't the first time a homeless person's personal story has gained national attention.

Three weeks ago, Cinematography student Fionn Kane highlighted the crisis by shooting an emotive video called I'm Still Human, focusing on the hardship faced by James, a homeless man who has been living on the streets for six years.

James reveals the horrific realities of life as a homeless man in Dublin, and tells the camera how he has been assaulted, humiliated and even urinated on while sleeping rough.

A Facebook post involving James also went viral last month after he was asked to leave McDonalds on O'Connell street despite being a paying customer.

Almost 7,000 people are now homeless in Ireland, according to the latest figures from the Department of Housing.

Apollo House will meet Minister for Health to discuss homeless crisis

Jan 5, 2017

by Staff Writer

The occupiers of Apollo House have agreed to attend a meeting with the Minister for Housing tomorrow.

The Home Sweet Home group will send a delegation of seven members to meet with Simon Coveney, after receiving an invitation from the Minister.

The invitation came after Apollo House residents created a hard-hitting video directed at the government asking them to come up with a solution for Ireland's homelessness crisis.

.@HSHIreland Here's the plan. #pknt @HSHIreland pic.twitter.com/pnTSPdrLjl

— Richard Chambers (@newschambers) January 5, 2017

The group has published a list of demands that the delegates will bring up at the meeting tomorrow.

The list includes the establishment of 24-hour private rooms for all homeless people for a minimum of six months to aleviate those sleeping on Ireland's streets, and a referendum on the right to housing.

Dublin City Council give the green light to plans to demolish Apollo House just over two weeks ago.

The Apollo House office building, which previously stood empty, is currently being occupied by the Home Sweet Home coalition of housing activists and homeless people.

The building is currently operating to capacity, and provides food and shelter to those in need

Outrage as homeless haven Apollo House faces demolition

Dec 20, 2016

by Staff Writer

Dublin City Council has given the green light to plans to demolish Apollo House.

The Apollo House office building, which previously stood empty, is currently being occupied by the Home Sweet Home coalition of housing activists and homeless people.

The building is currently operating to capacity, and provides food and shelter to those in need

The Owners of Apollo House are "worried about the health and safety of those staying in Apollo House"' pic.twitter.com/3OQSHqhiY0

— Glen Hansard (@Glen_Hansard) December 20, 2016

The Tara Street building is part of a €50,000,000 plan, set in motion back in June, for redevelopment of the area, which will include new offices and a public plaza.

Hawkins House next door may also be redeveloped.

The irony of Apollo house opposition on health and safety grounds… as if living on the streets is more healthy or safer #HomeSweetHome

— Gareth Noble (@GarNob) December 18, 2016

"It's right and appropriate the artist community are standing up and saying we need to change our ways so everyone can live in this city…It's impossible to live at the moment. You can’t rent here," said Green Party leader Eamon Ryan.

He believes that while the occupation of the site would not solve the homeless crisis, it was a step in the right direction.

"It's is a symbolic step, but an important step to say we need to be doing more."

Apollo House : A highly organised act of civil disobedience against onslaught of austerity https://t.co/qhKeqLY0aP #HomeSweetHome #todaysor pic.twitter.com/Vs3l1XEXmS

— Mick Caul (@caulmick) December 19, 2016

The Home Sweet Home volunteers are currently sheltering up to 35 occupants a night at Apollo House, but say that their capacity could be increased to 60.

People have taken to Twitter to express their outrage over the demolition plans.

Doubt #dublincitycouncil would have had Apollo house knocked if nobody was in it.Someone in the Government paying them well I'd say

— Annie Dwyer (@angelannie84) December 20, 2016

..Apollo House might be a much needed-remedy in a time of desperation for many. There is much that can be done when working together.. (13)

— Conor Murphy (@MurphyNSMassive) December 20, 2016

This shocking film reveals the realities of Dublin’s homeless crisis

Dec 17, 2016

by Staff Writer

Homelessness is a serious problem in Dublin, and it's one that many people choose to ignore.

Cinematography student Fionn Kane highlighted the issue by shooting an emotive video called I'm Still Human, focusing on the hardship faced by James, a homeless man who has been living on the streets for six years.

Through the documentary, James reveals the horrific realities of life as a homeless man in Dublin, and tells the camera how he has been assaulted, humiliated and even urinated on while sleeping rough.

James previously drew attention to the homeless crisis back in November, when he was the subject of a Facebook post by Alicia Gayson (we recommend giving the full post a read).

Alicia's post was spurred by an incident that happened in which she and James were shamed into leaving McDonalds on O'Connell Street due to James' homeless status, and were asked to move along despite the fact that they had paid for the meals they were consuming.

The post has since received 32,000 responses and has been shared almost 17,000 times.

Alicia is a vocal advocate for the rights of homeless people, and also features in the short film to speak about the incident. She also discusses the attitudes towards homeless people, and refers to one man whom she was involved in a debate with on the FM104 show.

"He was referring in the most derogatory terms to homeless people. He was calling them junkie scumbags, saying that they were a plague on earth," she said.

"Not everybody that is homeless is an addict. Even if we looked at just the addicts, no mother gives birth to a child with the hopes and aspirations that her child was going to become what society deem as a junkie scumbag that's going to sit out on a bridge and beg."

"No human being, when growing up in school and asked what they want to be when they grow up, is going to say they want to be a homeless beggar on O'Connell Street."

Fionn Kane, the creative behind I'm Still Human, told SHEmazing! about his intentions for the documentary:

"I guess the thing that spurred me the most was the fact that there are human beings sleeping in such harsh conditions, whom society seem to have forgotten about."

"These people might be drug addicts, they might have mental health problems, but at the end of the day they feel empathy, compassion and emotions just like me and you," said the aspiring director, who was working on another documentary about homelessness volunteers when he discovered James and Alicia's story.

"I searched for Alicia on Facebook and finally found her. Between filming them both, I was out in town shooting at night with volunteer groups and meeting some lovely, genuine people who have fallen on hard times."

A Go Fund Me page has been set up by Alicia Gayson, in the hopes of raising enough money to improve James' quality of life and get him off the streets and into some permanent housing.

‘I had no idea what to do’ Perrie’s split with Zayn left her HOMELESS

Oct 21, 2016

by Amber Saunders

While it was all dealt with on the quiet back when it happened, it looks like the fall-out from Perrie Edwards and Zayn Malik's split was pretty horrendous.

And it's all coming out now.

In addition to learning that her two-year engagement was over by text, Perrie was left without a place to call her own – something she addresses in the Little Mix autobiography.

"After I split with my partner, out of the blue, I had nowhere to go which was incredibly stressful," she wrote.

"For a while I had no idea what to do. The girls offered to put me up but they didn't really have room. I thought about renting but I've got dogs and cats, so that was no good." Perrie explained.

At the time, the band were promoting Black Magic in the States, and Perrie admits the reality of her situation took a while to sink in.

"While I was in America, things really hit me and I panicked. I realised I was homeless. I was crying every day, dreading coming back."

Perrie pays tribute to her mother and Richard Griffiths – the owner of Modest Management – for helping her to settle into Richard's guest cottage until she and her pets could find a place of their own.

"Thank God for him," Perrie wrote. "I put all my stuff in storage, took my dogs and more or less lived out of a suitcase for a good month and a half."

What'll come out next?!

Unemployed man left HOMELESS after Kris Jenner car crash incident

Aug 9, 2016

by Amber Saunders

Last week it was reported that Kris Jenner had been involved in a car accident near her home after a car cut in front of her at a Calabasas intersection.

And while Kris’ new Rolls-Royce was badly damaged in the collision, it has now emerged that the person driving the other car has been left homeless as a result of the crash.

According to TMZ, out-of-work actor and model Jack Way had been living in his car for a number of months in the run up to the accident while he searched for a new job and because Jack’s Prius was written off in the collision, he now has nowhere to live.

While the accident is widely believed to have been Jack’s fault and he does not have collision insurance, he is said to have made contact with a lawyer in relation to the incident.

Feat image: Getty

Centre image: TMZ

All Electric Picnic goers! Help St. Vincent de Paul aid the homeless

Sep 6, 2015

by Amber Saunders

Electric Picnic is wrapping up today for yet another year.

Sigh.

But as you reminisce about the weekend past, it could be your chance to help St. Vincent de Paul aid the homeless.

Every year hundreds of sleeping mats and sleeping bags are left behind on the mucky grounds of Stradbally.

SVP are asking you to to donate your sleeping bags instead of throwing them in the trash.

The charity partake in weekly soup runs every Monday, where they give hats, scarves, tea, soup and sandwiches to the homeless; and now they have made an appeal to all festival-goers to give their old, unwanted sleeping bags and mats to people in-need.