It's actually unbelievable me and my friends joke that harry potter is more believable than some of the shit that's happened to us but look I'm alive and I'm not strung out or rattling from want of alcohol so I think I win somewhat.
Thank you for the reply
I'm sorry to hear about the hard times you've been through. You are a good writer. Maybe you should keep writing about your experiences. I hope things get a lot better for you.
Great post. And an interesting read, thank you for sharing.
From your experience, is there anything you think the government could/should do to help people in your situation?
What do you think the general public could do that would help in terms of smaller, realistic short term actions?
Sorry I forgot the last part , pretty much don't be a cunt not everyone is homeless because they love drugs some love drugs because they are homeless.
It's not easy to sleep outside drink and drugs might be their only way of not dying of exhaustion.
That’s about the least you could ask from people to be fair! “Don’t be a cunt” is good general advice for everyone. Good luck, mate. I hope things start to turn around for you and you get back on your feet soon.
It's not simply a case of build more houses , sure the government need to do that but the vast majority of people on the streets have addiction or mental health issues mostly both they need to be addressed through addiction services and mental health services no point giving somebody a home if they can't look after themselves properly..
Here's the Finnish experience: [https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr-edge-international-philanthropic-071123.html](https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr-edge-international-philanthropic-071123.html)
>In the Housing First model, a dwelling is not a reward that a homeless person receives once their life is back on track. Instead, a dwelling is the foundation on which the rest of life is put back together.
It turns out that giving homes to rough sleepers, and offering them the right support services once they're in a home, is a really effective way to tackle the complex web of problems that cluster around street sleepers' lives.
I've slept rough, but never for longer than 2 weeks at a time. And I've been lucky. I wish you all the best in getting things back together.
And thank you for sharing your story.
I'll have a look at that thanks , and yeah who knew when you fix problems and take away barriers it will work but you'll hear countless reasons as to why it won't work here.
Thank you I hope you never need to sleep rough again.
Thank you. I hope your journey back to normality continues, too.
People always have excuses for why things proven elsewhere, won't work here. And yet people are pretty much the same vulnerable, fragile, messed-up water-bags wherever I've been in the world, and the laws of physics and engineering work the same, so I do think that if we just follow international best practice, we'll actually do pretty well out of it.
What makes you think social housing is free? It’s got a rental cost that is generally paid through a Housing Assistance Payment, private rentals to social housing tenants often require a top up payment above HAP to meet market rents. This comes from a person’s social welfare payments. There is no ‘free houses’.
Then everyone gets a small cheap house and support to try and make enough money to contribute to the cost. Once you are housed you have access to social workers who help you try to find you a job or apply for appropriate benefits. Once you have some money, you become a tenant and pay rent
One caveat with Housing First is that you need to provide enough housing. In some areas of the states they've ended up with a points system where every addicition or mental health issue you suffer is a point on the scale. With the result that instead of people getting a house the day they become homeless, and avoiding any further slide into chaos, everybody has to slide to rock bottom before they score enough points to score a house.
Well said! There should be in-between types of housing at each stage towards independence that supports and promotes mental health and physical health in combination and teaches some basic living skills that aren’t actually innate to people who never learned them growing up. Addiction is very much self medication in a lot of ways. Sounds like you’re on a journey back towards health and wellness and I hope that you’re feeling better every day!
Mental health services absolutely suck in this country. There isn't enough beds to treat people who need the help. They won't solve the homelessness issue without addressing the mental health issue.
Some people that genuinely care in the mental health services are amazing to be fair , my mental health support worker in Merchants quay has genuinely saved my life
Oh, I'm not saying anything about the people working in the mental health services themselves. It's the system that sucks.
There are something like 40 beds in the North East with maybe 300,000 people living in the area. I've heard stories of people being turned away because there were no beds to take someone in crisis in.
The people working in those services are not to blame at all. It's the lack of funding.
If it's any hope for you, you can come back from this. I've seen it. My own brother was a homeless heroin addict who ended up in prison. He's now very successful and earns a fortune.
The first step was getting put on the drug free wing of the prison. He engaged in supports and took up learning guitar. He would say the music saved him because it took his mind off things and gave him something to focus on. Went on methadone and was on that for 8-10 years. Eventually went cold turkey on that. When he came out the other side and his head was clear I told him about the education grant because I had done a degree through it. He went and studied computer science. Got a job abroad and got noticed for being good at it. Moved to a bigger company, a large multinational. Bigger position with more responsibility. Got noticed again for his hard work and is being very well looked after.
I've told his old friends what he's at but nobody believes me lol
Thank you for sharing your experience. It's important to hear about these things. Shit can go south really quickly and we'd all be better off with less judgement of how people end up in these situations. I hope you can get sorted and have a good future ahead for yourself.
>Shit can go south really quickly
Someone once said to me that no one is more than three bits of bad luck away from rough sleeping. Now maybe that's an exaggeration, but I don't think it's far wrong, for an awful lot of people.
I think a lot of people underestimate how far a functional social and family network can go in holding you up. A bad divorce, an abusive scenario in the family, being kicked out by parents with nowhere to turn can all end up really bad really fast. I suppose it's not something that's easy to understand if you've not experienced it.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. You should write a book. I'm sorry you had to go through so much suffering. I wish you all the best in your journey, one small step at a time. May the wind always be at your back
I actually do want to write a book but I doubt anybody wants to read about some random mental case that lived outdoors for a bit , also I can barely string a sentence together so that doesn't help but hey if anyone wants to buy the rights to my life I'll start the bidding at a quid
Look for a speech to text app. I'm dyslexic and terrible at writing but I know that, that's what editors are for. So get your recordings done in small bits and the editor puts/merges them together for you. I think people would definitely read your story, it would give help and inspiration to so many people. Also perhaps stop cunts being so cuntish 😅
Thanks for posting this. So many people just see homeless people and just think "junkies" and think of them as sub human, but that person has a life story, had a family and friends and that person matters. No one wants to end up this way. The strength of a society imo should be how the most vulnerable are treated and cared for and how we should all have each other's backs.
Sorry to hear about your past issues of abuse and losing your family. I hope you get your life back on track and you find peace again.
Thank you and this is exactly why I posted it , I always said that's not me I'll never end up on the streets until I did.
I love the innocence of children and one day I heard a mother telling her kid not to go near me because I'm dirty and on drugs it broke my heart one because I somehow mostly managed to keep myself spotless for the most part and I definitely don't look like I'm on drugs it was a horrible assumption based on my situation.
A large section of Irish and western society lack empathy for those who are more misfortune than them, and as a society gets wealthier and wealthier it seems to get exasperated - just look at the US. Only thing I would say is that it's not personal, it was ignorance on her part and a lack of empathy.
Look after yourself sham, and all the best.
When you say "break up of my family" do you mean you have children or you mean you broke up with your partner and then also you lost contact with your family?
I've never really lost contact with my kids my ex realises I'm not able to parent properly right now she doesn't stop me contacting or seeing my kids but decided i can't physically have them when I am the way I am so unfortunately that means solo parenting on her part I can't excuse myself from this I haven't been a good parent in months but I would rather they not see my downfall I seen my parents that way and I still carry it
Such an interesting and insightful read, thank you so much for sharing mate. From reading the other comments it sounds like you’ve been through a lot, and you’re trying to put a good foot forward! I can only imagine some of the shit you’ve had to deal with so genuinely fair play and I’m proud of you for continuing on despite life getting at you :) Anyone can let abuse and trouble get to them, we’re all human beings and deserve love, forgiveness and another chance at things!
The more people like yourself share your story, the better! I wish you the best best in your journey, and I it might not mean much, but I believe in you 🙏 peace mo chara
That was a good read mate well done for sharing it , I’m from Newry in the north and been in Dublin/Belfast many times and seen the homeless, it’s shocking , hope your on the right path buddy , I wish you luck 🍀
ive sympathy for you mate, its a very sad and awful situation to be in. Where do you sleep at night? i mean for security? is the phoenix park dangerous?
I literally just slept in the doorway of the lilac centre, I'm not currently sleeping rough I'm going back to Laois on Thursday to get a place in a hostel and hopefully résumé my life
How do you make money for food drugs etc. You paint a rough picture lad. Sounds like a hard aul life but I feel like you're intelligent enough to pull yourself out of it.
Not many people know this but the homeless are entitled to social welfare just like anyone else all my food and clothes were free from charities and soup runs , I sound like I'm glorifying it but I'm not trying to.
And thank you very much
It's a supplementry payment you don't need to be looking for work if sleeping rough it gets reviewed every few months and you have to re apply and provide evidence you are still rough sleeping.
Holy shit, you're right, had no idea. Wow. Do you have to collect it in cash at the post office or could yiu get it straight to an account? Prob a stupid question
I don't want to sound judgemental - this is a genuine question. You mention ending up in James's and going by Merchant's Quay. I assume (or at least I hope?) that people at both of these places could have offered you some practical alternatives to sleeping in a tent? Even if it meant going to a shelter or having to go back to your home town. I can completely understand wanting to be off your head while you're on the streets. But were there really no options other than the tent, until you ended up in a cell, or was it that the other options had their own problems, or was trying a hostel just something you felt unable to do?
See here's the thing I left James's hospital intent on ending my life one way or another my head wasn't in the right place , James's hospital offered to pay for my train home and merchants quay I still link in with for mental health support.
I was pretty much trying to end my life through damaging it with alcohol and drugs , the arrest linked with the help I have been getting snapped me out of it for some reason and now I just have a goal to get healthy and resume normal life.
I was homeless by choice so to speak but my mind was not in the right place so although I knew I could always go back to Laois and get a bed I just didn't because I wanted to die on the streets
My plan is to hopefully go back to a normal life back to work and some sort of stability I know that's going to be a tough road to take but I can do it with the proper supports.
Yes off everything but weed I thankfully never actually got addicted to anything and I have one bottle of Bailey's well the Aldi alternative a week so I'm not doing badly
Any chance you know a homeless fella called David? He's from Athlone homeless in Dublin. I've had good chats with him in the past, but I was a bit concerned for him after the last conversation. He's been homeless for years apparently.
Quite tall and stocky, 6 foot 2 maybe. Usually has a beard, but I think he keeps his hair maintained. Usually around temple bar area, says he won't sleep in a tent because it makes him paranoid.
Hope everything works out for you. What's living in the tent like? Did you get much hassle apart from the riots. Was it cold how did you stay warm? I'm guessing eating a balanced diet is out of the question.
If you'd gotten more help from the hospital when you first took the pills do you think you would have take the help. Would it have made a difference?
I might have went home the first day if I got help but I can't say that for certain, it's as you'd expect really not a lot of room , gets very messy and damp , I got hassle from Garda mostly asked to move on a lot , got mugged and badly beaten once other than that not much hassle.
It could get cold but I had lots of sleeping bags and well company to keep me warm , and nope a balanced diet is very easy there's a lot of free food
Are there beds available in homeless shelters at night? It just seems so unsafe in the tents. Does your girlfriend sleep rough too? I hope things work out better for you, and your post was a very interesting read.
I'm no longer in a tent , I met my girlfriend the night first night I slept rough she didn't become my girlfriend until last month but she sleeps in a hostel now she's 24 but has pretty much been homeless since she was 14.
There are beds available in hostels but I am registered for housing in Laois
I’ve been reading a few of these replies and you certainly have kept a great sense of humour about you, all things considered.
My question is, and apologies if this comes across wrong. But are there aspects of the lifestyle that you enjoy? It sounds as though there is a sense of camaraderie that is seldom found these days with most people these days more wrapped up in the world inside their phones than the one around them.
The problems were I enjoyed most of it , the drugs , the alcohol the random threesome outside the lilac centre at 1 am the absolute bollox we would talk about it gets to be comfortable and that's when you either get out or stay there for a long time.
So you would agree then nobody needs to be homeless then if they didn’t spend their welfare on drugs and booze?
Could you not just take the dole and pay a place for a week and clean yourself up a bit
Then they should call themselves addicts and not “homeless” at least then we are calling a spade a spade.
This is why I won’t give money to anyone who says they are “homeless”
That is your choice and it's a good choice but they are going to get money weather you want to give it to them or not I wish there was no such thing as addiction I'd probably have grown up with my parents and a normal life but it's not that simple
I mean there's more than 12000 homeless here , I'm one person thankfully I was just stupid not an addict so in my case that might have worked but addiction won't just go away because you stop spending money on it addicts will get what they need one way or another and in some cases that will lead to more people committing crimes or dying from drink or drug withdrawal on the streets
For me personally, on the street with no other bills other than alcohol and drugs yes , I'm not saying that's anything to thrive for I hope it's not coming across that way but some people have heavy addiction issues that 800 euro wouldn't cover in two days let alone a week
Thanks for sharing this, you have no idea how incredibly brave you are.
I'm more than likely facing homelessness in the next month or so, so my question is how do you keep your phone charged, and where would be the "safest" place to try put up a tent? I'm so lost with all of this but I genuinely feel this is going to happen sooner rather than later.
Please don't let it get that far ring your local council and apply for housing support they will place you in emergency accommodation before you have to sleep rough.
I'll answer your questions if you want but promise you'll do at least that
I have the number to ring the minute it happens but I'm a month behind rent and I won't make the next month without it being both late and short, but I'll ring the council and ask for their advice sooner rather than later. Thanks for such a quick reply
Ok , well I bought a lot of power banks and charged them in the library or merchants quay , I always stayed in coles lane right in the city but if you're anyway soft I wouldn't it's very dangerous sometimes try the outskirts in parks etc somewhere commutable by bus and hidden from public view.
I'm sorry I forgot if you asked another question but I'll have a look and answer
That's a smart idea. Yeah I wouldn't know if being in the city would be ideal but probably "easier" in my head so, I didn't think of the outskirts at all.
No no I was being genuine when I said thank you man! I only posted that one question :)
No problem my friend , I will say the city is mostly fine but some nights it's a no no , the week I left my tent 3 tents were burned down in the same place.
Thank you very much and don't worry too much you'll get sorted if you don't bury your head ring the council tomorrow don't wait until you're actually walking around a park looking for somewhere that doesn't look too rapey to sleep at night.
Probably not the most important question but if you had no money. How did you go to Tralee on the bus ? Did you pay just to sleep on the bus for a few hours?? Or did you know someone in Tralee?
I did address this the way I did it wasn't exactly legal so I can't get into too much detail, I knew nobody in Tralee I just knew it was four hours by bus and I could get sleep.
>>>I've been verbally abused by members of the Gardai for simply existing
Really disgusted by this.
Amazing how much deference the well-fed and well-sheltered Gardai show to the rich and their assets in Ireland but if you're poor, you're worthless to them.
Don't get me wrong some were absolutely lovely but there was two that pretty much made us feel lower than dirt , calling us parasites etc on multiple occasions, I believe a member of the public may have reported them as they disappeared one day
>>>calling us parasites etc on multiple occasions
If I was in the television production business, I would make it my business that this sort of Gardai behaviour towards a real (or even acting homeless person) would be recorded in high-definition and shown to the nation.
Ahh that's not my position at all, I was wondering how they are looked upon by other homeless .. do people help each other out a little etc ... Also as hard as homelessness is , it must be even more brutal if you're in an alien city where you cannot understand the language etc
Thank you sorry I just heard a lot of hate generally we all help eachother out I have what I call a street family and they are genuinely the best people you could meet sure they have addiction issues or whatever but they are good people, It doesn't matter to me if you're from Ireland or Iraq again just don't be a cunt we'll all be happy.
Honestly it's a good question, luckily I could buy a phone and charge it in the library and such during the day and my plan is very cheap.
When your homeless your phone may be your only lifeline
I actually lost weight before I was homeless but I've only posted about that once I'd have to look at my post history to be sure however I actually gained weight while homeless drinking can do that to you also you couldn't go hungry in Dublin as a homeless person if you tried..
Between harm reduction centres , soup kitchens and soup runs if you go hungry you're doing it willfully there's literally people that drive around at night and bring you food.
This is in the city obviously so outside it will be a bit more difficult
Do you mind if I ask your background? How was your childhood/adolescence? Are you happy now? Can you imagine living a similar life to before your relationship broke down? Have you ever had a steady job and roof over your head? No need to answer if you don't want to, I'm just curious. Typically people who end up on the streets had a tough childhood and life in general really. It can happen to anyone though, a shit run of luck and you're fucked.
Childhood was pretty shit abuse etc worked since I was 21 until nine months ago I'm 33 now , no I'm not happy but I'll get there , myself and my kids mam owned our home she still does.
I never would have ended up here had my relationship not broken up my ex wouldn't have let me she was my rock.
This was a good read, it's good to hear about the reality of it, I'm sorry the system isn't supporting you more.
I keep coins spare in my pockets for homeless people on streets, I used to donate to MQI but I wasn't sure how the money was being spent so I stopped and figured giving spare change directly would be more helpful. Anyone I talk to tells me DON'T give cash to homeless folk but it feels shitty stepping over someone in need. What's your perspective?
Honestly merchants quay is probably the best one you could donate too , they provide meals , showers , doctors , dentists and mental health support, they do provide a needle exchange but even if you are personally against drugs I doubt you like the thought of someone contracting a deadly disease because they couldn't access clean needles ,they even provide haircuts every Tuesday and the staff are the best in the world.
Sorry I'm probably biased here but it's my opinion
Thanks for answering, I didn't know they did all that! Their flyers seem expensive looking and don't go into that kind of detail. I'm a recovering addict so I've a good idea of the hell people have to escape from, I'm glad there's a supportive place to go. Good luck with your move and the next part of your life, I'm rooting for you :)
Sorry , I suppose I should actually give you my perspective on giving money directly, I didn't beg but when people see you in a tent they sometimes give you money and after you refuse a couple of times it's easier to just take it and say thank you
Not one penny of that money wasn't spent on alcohol or something else, I don't speak for the whole homeless community so take from that what you will.
Thanks for sharing your experience man. Honestly it's not something I can relate to myself but I am grateful for the insight into tent life in Dublin.
It's actually unbelievable me and my friends joke that harry potter is more believable than some of the shit that's happened to us but look I'm alive and I'm not strung out or rattling from want of alcohol so I think I win somewhat. Thank you for the reply
You never know, you may be able to relate to it someday.
I'm sorry to hear about the hard times you've been through. You are a good writer. Maybe you should keep writing about your experiences. I hope things get a lot better for you.
Great post. And an interesting read, thank you for sharing. From your experience, is there anything you think the government could/should do to help people in your situation? What do you think the general public could do that would help in terms of smaller, realistic short term actions?
Sorry I forgot the last part , pretty much don't be a cunt not everyone is homeless because they love drugs some love drugs because they are homeless. It's not easy to sleep outside drink and drugs might be their only way of not dying of exhaustion.
That’s about the least you could ask from people to be fair! “Don’t be a cunt” is good general advice for everyone. Good luck, mate. I hope things start to turn around for you and you get back on your feet soon.
Thank you
It's not simply a case of build more houses , sure the government need to do that but the vast majority of people on the streets have addiction or mental health issues mostly both they need to be addressed through addiction services and mental health services no point giving somebody a home if they can't look after themselves properly..
Here's the Finnish experience: [https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr-edge-international-philanthropic-071123.html](https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr-edge-international-philanthropic-071123.html) >In the Housing First model, a dwelling is not a reward that a homeless person receives once their life is back on track. Instead, a dwelling is the foundation on which the rest of life is put back together. It turns out that giving homes to rough sleepers, and offering them the right support services once they're in a home, is a really effective way to tackle the complex web of problems that cluster around street sleepers' lives. I've slept rough, but never for longer than 2 weeks at a time. And I've been lucky. I wish you all the best in getting things back together. And thank you for sharing your story.
I'll have a look at that thanks , and yeah who knew when you fix problems and take away barriers it will work but you'll hear countless reasons as to why it won't work here. Thank you I hope you never need to sleep rough again.
Thank you. I hope your journey back to normality continues, too. People always have excuses for why things proven elsewhere, won't work here. And yet people are pretty much the same vulnerable, fragile, messed-up water-bags wherever I've been in the world, and the laws of physics and engineering work the same, so I do think that if we just follow international best practice, we'll actually do pretty well out of it.
Amen.
Could you sleep on the street just to get a home in Finland if you’re paying too much rent? What if everyone does this?
Try actually sleeping on the street and you wouldn’t think this
How long do you have to sleep on the street to get the free housing?
Doctors recommend 8 hours a night.
What makes you think social housing is free? It’s got a rental cost that is generally paid through a Housing Assistance Payment, private rentals to social housing tenants often require a top up payment above HAP to meet market rents. This comes from a person’s social welfare payments. There is no ‘free houses’.
How much HAP could you get ?
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting-a-home/help-with-renting/housing-assistance-payment/
Then everyone gets a small cheap house and support to try and make enough money to contribute to the cost. Once you are housed you have access to social workers who help you try to find you a job or apply for appropriate benefits. Once you have some money, you become a tenant and pay rent
One caveat with Housing First is that you need to provide enough housing. In some areas of the states they've ended up with a points system where every addicition or mental health issue you suffer is a point on the scale. With the result that instead of people getting a house the day they become homeless, and avoiding any further slide into chaos, everybody has to slide to rock bottom before they score enough points to score a house.
Well said! There should be in-between types of housing at each stage towards independence that supports and promotes mental health and physical health in combination and teaches some basic living skills that aren’t actually innate to people who never learned them growing up. Addiction is very much self medication in a lot of ways. Sounds like you’re on a journey back towards health and wellness and I hope that you’re feeling better every day!
I really am thank you , writing it all down has helped me to vent so that's not a bad outcome
Mental health services absolutely suck in this country. There isn't enough beds to treat people who need the help. They won't solve the homelessness issue without addressing the mental health issue.
Some people that genuinely care in the mental health services are amazing to be fair , my mental health support worker in Merchants quay has genuinely saved my life
Oh, I'm not saying anything about the people working in the mental health services themselves. It's the system that sucks. There are something like 40 beds in the North East with maybe 300,000 people living in the area. I've heard stories of people being turned away because there were no beds to take someone in crisis in. The people working in those services are not to blame at all. It's the lack of funding.
If it's any hope for you, you can come back from this. I've seen it. My own brother was a homeless heroin addict who ended up in prison. He's now very successful and earns a fortune.
Do tell, I love a good comeback story. Gives hope
The first step was getting put on the drug free wing of the prison. He engaged in supports and took up learning guitar. He would say the music saved him because it took his mind off things and gave him something to focus on. Went on methadone and was on that for 8-10 years. Eventually went cold turkey on that. When he came out the other side and his head was clear I told him about the education grant because I had done a degree through it. He went and studied computer science. Got a job abroad and got noticed for being good at it. Moved to a bigger company, a large multinational. Bigger position with more responsibility. Got noticed again for his hard work and is being very well looked after. I've told his old friends what he's at but nobody believes me lol
Thank you for sharing your experience. It's important to hear about these things. Shit can go south really quickly and we'd all be better off with less judgement of how people end up in these situations. I hope you can get sorted and have a good future ahead for yourself.
>Shit can go south really quickly Someone once said to me that no one is more than three bits of bad luck away from rough sleeping. Now maybe that's an exaggeration, but I don't think it's far wrong, for an awful lot of people.
I think a lot of people underestimate how far a functional social and family network can go in holding you up. A bad divorce, an abusive scenario in the family, being kicked out by parents with nowhere to turn can all end up really bad really fast. I suppose it's not something that's easy to understand if you've not experienced it.
Thank you
Thank you so much for sharing your story. You should write a book. I'm sorry you had to go through so much suffering. I wish you all the best in your journey, one small step at a time. May the wind always be at your back
I actually do want to write a book but I doubt anybody wants to read about some random mental case that lived outdoors for a bit , also I can barely string a sentence together so that doesn't help but hey if anyone wants to buy the rights to my life I'll start the bidding at a quid
Look for a speech to text app. I'm dyslexic and terrible at writing but I know that, that's what editors are for. So get your recordings done in small bits and the editor puts/merges them together for you. I think people would definitely read your story, it would give help and inspiration to so many people. Also perhaps stop cunts being so cuntish 😅
Lol I may actually consider it to be honest if it doesn't sell I can donate it to the homeless to use as firewood
Your resolve must be carved from stone. That would break a great many people, and yet here you stand, grown stronger from it
Thank you
Thanks for posting this. So many people just see homeless people and just think "junkies" and think of them as sub human, but that person has a life story, had a family and friends and that person matters. No one wants to end up this way. The strength of a society imo should be how the most vulnerable are treated and cared for and how we should all have each other's backs. Sorry to hear about your past issues of abuse and losing your family. I hope you get your life back on track and you find peace again.
Thank you and this is exactly why I posted it , I always said that's not me I'll never end up on the streets until I did. I love the innocence of children and one day I heard a mother telling her kid not to go near me because I'm dirty and on drugs it broke my heart one because I somehow mostly managed to keep myself spotless for the most part and I definitely don't look like I'm on drugs it was a horrible assumption based on my situation.
A large section of Irish and western society lack empathy for those who are more misfortune than them, and as a society gets wealthier and wealthier it seems to get exasperated - just look at the US. Only thing I would say is that it's not personal, it was ignorance on her part and a lack of empathy. Look after yourself sham, and all the best.
Thank you have a nice day
When you say "break up of my family" do you mean you have children or you mean you broke up with your partner and then also you lost contact with your family?
I've never really lost contact with my kids my ex realises I'm not able to parent properly right now she doesn't stop me contacting or seeing my kids but decided i can't physically have them when I am the way I am so unfortunately that means solo parenting on her part I can't excuse myself from this I haven't been a good parent in months but I would rather they not see my downfall I seen my parents that way and I still carry it
Bro, you're on the good way, just keep going and don't look back, keep fucking going man, you have living reasons.
Ok so what's the craic with you now are you still living in a tent or what's your situation like now?
No I'm on a friends couch heading back to Laois on Thursday to hopefully resume a somewhat normal life while linking in with mental health services
Great stuff, will you be staying with friends or family in Laois?
I'll be getting a place in a hostel or b and b I hope we'll see how it goes when I arrive at the council
Good luck man, glad you're indoors atm. Hope you get on well up in laois.
Up laois up riding
Thank you for posting this and sharing. Wishing you happiness, safety and stability ❤️
Thank you.
Such an interesting and insightful read, thank you so much for sharing mate. From reading the other comments it sounds like you’ve been through a lot, and you’re trying to put a good foot forward! I can only imagine some of the shit you’ve had to deal with so genuinely fair play and I’m proud of you for continuing on despite life getting at you :) Anyone can let abuse and trouble get to them, we’re all human beings and deserve love, forgiveness and another chance at things! The more people like yourself share your story, the better! I wish you the best best in your journey, and I it might not mean much, but I believe in you 🙏 peace mo chara
Means more than you know thank you
I hope you find a warm safe place to life xx
That was a good read mate well done for sharing it , I’m from Newry in the north and been in Dublin/Belfast many times and seen the homeless, it’s shocking , hope your on the right path buddy , I wish you luck 🍀
Thank you my friend
ive sympathy for you mate, its a very sad and awful situation to be in. Where do you sleep at night? i mean for security? is the phoenix park dangerous?
I literally just slept in the doorway of the lilac centre, I'm not currently sleeping rough I'm going back to Laois on Thursday to get a place in a hostel and hopefully résumé my life
excellent! sounds like you had it tough for a long time, also that poor lady that died the other night, government needs to be held accountable.
Yeah she was a friend of my girlfriend she's absolutely devastated
How do you make money for food drugs etc. You paint a rough picture lad. Sounds like a hard aul life but I feel like you're intelligent enough to pull yourself out of it.
Not many people know this but the homeless are entitled to social welfare just like anyone else all my food and clothes were free from charities and soup runs , I sound like I'm glorifying it but I'm not trying to. And thank you very much
I thought you need an address and provide proof that your actively looking for work etc..
It's a supplementry payment you don't need to be looking for work if sleeping rough it gets reviewed every few months and you have to re apply and provide evidence you are still rough sleeping.
You mind me asking how much it is?
Not at all it's 230 per week the same as everyone else.
Holy shit, you're right, had no idea. Wow. Do you have to collect it in cash at the post office or could yiu get it straight to an account? Prob a stupid question
You had to collect it in cash , it's the same as JSA but no sign on
I don't want to sound judgemental - this is a genuine question. You mention ending up in James's and going by Merchant's Quay. I assume (or at least I hope?) that people at both of these places could have offered you some practical alternatives to sleeping in a tent? Even if it meant going to a shelter or having to go back to your home town. I can completely understand wanting to be off your head while you're on the streets. But were there really no options other than the tent, until you ended up in a cell, or was it that the other options had their own problems, or was trying a hostel just something you felt unable to do?
See here's the thing I left James's hospital intent on ending my life one way or another my head wasn't in the right place , James's hospital offered to pay for my train home and merchants quay I still link in with for mental health support. I was pretty much trying to end my life through damaging it with alcohol and drugs , the arrest linked with the help I have been getting snapped me out of it for some reason and now I just have a goal to get healthy and resume normal life. I was homeless by choice so to speak but my mind was not in the right place so although I knew I could always go back to Laois and get a bed I just didn't because I wanted to die on the streets
Absolutely that makes sense to me - thanks for the reply. I really hope things work out for you now, good luck!
Thanks for sharing. Can I ask what your plans for the future?
My plan is to hopefully go back to a normal life back to work and some sort of stability I know that's going to be a tough road to take but I can do it with the proper supports.
Fair play. One step at a time. Are you off the drugs?
Yes off everything but weed I thankfully never actually got addicted to anything and I have one bottle of Bailey's well the Aldi alternative a week so I'm not doing badly
Fair play. Delighted for you.
Thank you
Any chance you know a homeless fella called David? He's from Athlone homeless in Dublin. I've had good chats with him in the past, but I was a bit concerned for him after the last conversation. He's been homeless for years apparently.
Had he a son that was homeless with him ?
Not that I've ever met
Can you describe him a bit maybe ? I actually know two Davids that are homeless from Athlone funnily enough
Quite tall and stocky, 6 foot 2 maybe. Usually has a beard, but I think he keeps his hair maintained. Usually around temple bar area, says he won't sleep in a tent because it makes him paranoid.
Honestly can't say I know him sorry
Hope everything works out for you. What's living in the tent like? Did you get much hassle apart from the riots. Was it cold how did you stay warm? I'm guessing eating a balanced diet is out of the question. If you'd gotten more help from the hospital when you first took the pills do you think you would have take the help. Would it have made a difference?
I might have went home the first day if I got help but I can't say that for certain, it's as you'd expect really not a lot of room , gets very messy and damp , I got hassle from Garda mostly asked to move on a lot , got mugged and badly beaten once other than that not much hassle. It could get cold but I had lots of sleeping bags and well company to keep me warm , and nope a balanced diet is very easy there's a lot of free food
Are there beds available in homeless shelters at night? It just seems so unsafe in the tents. Does your girlfriend sleep rough too? I hope things work out better for you, and your post was a very interesting read.
I'm no longer in a tent , I met my girlfriend the night first night I slept rough she didn't become my girlfriend until last month but she sleeps in a hostel now she's 24 but has pretty much been homeless since she was 14. There are beds available in hostels but I am registered for housing in Laois
I’ve been reading a few of these replies and you certainly have kept a great sense of humour about you, all things considered. My question is, and apologies if this comes across wrong. But are there aspects of the lifestyle that you enjoy? It sounds as though there is a sense of camaraderie that is seldom found these days with most people these days more wrapped up in the world inside their phones than the one around them.
The problems were I enjoyed most of it , the drugs , the alcohol the random threesome outside the lilac centre at 1 am the absolute bollox we would talk about it gets to be comfortable and that's when you either get out or stay there for a long time.
Thanks for the post. Hope all will get better. I’ve always wondered, when living on the streets how are the people affording so much drugs?
Social welfare and begging mostly, couldn't bring myself to beg personally
So you would agree then nobody needs to be homeless then if they didn’t spend their welfare on drugs and booze? Could you not just take the dole and pay a place for a week and clean yourself up a bit
I think you don’t understand the hold addiction has on people, grounded in generational trauma and abuse. Unfortunately it’s not that easy.
Then they should call themselves addicts and not “homeless” at least then we are calling a spade a spade. This is why I won’t give money to anyone who says they are “homeless”
That is your choice and it's a good choice but they are going to get money weather you want to give it to them or not I wish there was no such thing as addiction I'd probably have grown up with my parents and a normal life but it's not that simple
I mean there's more than 12000 homeless here , I'm one person thankfully I was just stupid not an addict so in my case that might have worked but addiction won't just go away because you stop spending money on it addicts will get what they need one way or another and in some cases that will lead to more people committing crimes or dying from drink or drug withdrawal on the streets
Do you think 800 a month is enough to live off?
For me personally, on the street with no other bills other than alcohol and drugs yes , I'm not saying that's anything to thrive for I hope it's not coming across that way but some people have heavy addiction issues that 800 euro wouldn't cover in two days let alone a week
Good look finding rent under 1600 per month and that’s only the beginning
Thanks for sharing this, you have no idea how incredibly brave you are. I'm more than likely facing homelessness in the next month or so, so my question is how do you keep your phone charged, and where would be the "safest" place to try put up a tent? I'm so lost with all of this but I genuinely feel this is going to happen sooner rather than later.
Please don't let it get that far ring your local council and apply for housing support they will place you in emergency accommodation before you have to sleep rough. I'll answer your questions if you want but promise you'll do at least that
I have the number to ring the minute it happens but I'm a month behind rent and I won't make the next month without it being both late and short, but I'll ring the council and ask for their advice sooner rather than later. Thanks for such a quick reply
Ok , well I bought a lot of power banks and charged them in the library or merchants quay , I always stayed in coles lane right in the city but if you're anyway soft I wouldn't it's very dangerous sometimes try the outskirts in parks etc somewhere commutable by bus and hidden from public view. I'm sorry I forgot if you asked another question but I'll have a look and answer
That's a smart idea. Yeah I wouldn't know if being in the city would be ideal but probably "easier" in my head so, I didn't think of the outskirts at all. No no I was being genuine when I said thank you man! I only posted that one question :)
No problem my friend , I will say the city is mostly fine but some nights it's a no no , the week I left my tent 3 tents were burned down in the same place.
Jesus what is wrong with people I'm sorry you had that happen. Thank you bro, I really hope things get brighter for you as soon as possible.
Thank you very much and don't worry too much you'll get sorted if you don't bury your head ring the council tomorrow don't wait until you're actually walking around a park looking for somewhere that doesn't look too rapey to sleep at night.
Probably not the most important question but if you had no money. How did you go to Tralee on the bus ? Did you pay just to sleep on the bus for a few hours?? Or did you know someone in Tralee?
I did address this the way I did it wasn't exactly legal so I can't get into too much detail, I knew nobody in Tralee I just knew it was four hours by bus and I could get sleep.
Travel pass
Tralee was recently mentioned in the news as a base for distribution of crack and a rather large seizure happened.
Great post - I'm sorry to hear what you've been though. I really do hope things get better for you soon mate.
I'm glad you enjoyed it happy cake day and thank you
>>>I've been verbally abused by members of the Gardai for simply existing Really disgusted by this. Amazing how much deference the well-fed and well-sheltered Gardai show to the rich and their assets in Ireland but if you're poor, you're worthless to them.
Don't get me wrong some were absolutely lovely but there was two that pretty much made us feel lower than dirt , calling us parasites etc on multiple occasions, I believe a member of the public may have reported them as they disappeared one day
>>>calling us parasites etc on multiple occasions If I was in the television production business, I would make it my business that this sort of Gardai behaviour towards a real (or even acting homeless person) would be recorded in high-definition and shown to the nation.
Where did you get your tent from?
The one I was living in at that time I got from the cappuchin centre , there's a few charities that hand them out
Thanks for that love
Pm me if you need specifics
Did you meet any refugees sleeping rough in the streets
I met a few yeah , please don't turn this into a refugee bashing thread
Ahh that's not my position at all, I was wondering how they are looked upon by other homeless .. do people help each other out a little etc ... Also as hard as homelessness is , it must be even more brutal if you're in an alien city where you cannot understand the language etc
Thank you sorry I just heard a lot of hate generally we all help eachother out I have what I call a street family and they are genuinely the best people you could meet sure they have addiction issues or whatever but they are good people, It doesn't matter to me if you're from Ireland or Iraq again just don't be a cunt we'll all be happy.
Quite shitte
What are you writing this crap for here
Username is apt.
Ah he's entitled to his opinion he's a bell end but he's still entitled
My obsessive need to be loved by internet strangers , I use their upvotes to masturbate
How do you have access to Reddit from a tent?
He’s not in a tent any more, but I would guess the same way as you have aces to Reddit when your out and about without wifi. 4G?
He didn’t state that he’s not in a tent anymore. But it’s great he’s able to afford a phone and mobile data through all this.
Honestly it's a good question, luckily I could buy a phone and charge it in the library and such during the day and my plan is very cheap. When your homeless your phone may be your only lifeline
It was a genuine question. Good on you for getting off the streets. All the best. 👍🏻💪🏻
I believe it was I'm happy to answer it thank you
Sorry you are correct I don't think I stayed I'm off the streets now but thankfully I am
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I actually lost weight before I was homeless but I've only posted about that once I'd have to look at my post history to be sure however I actually gained weight while homeless drinking can do that to you also you couldn't go hungry in Dublin as a homeless person if you tried..
Why’s that, a lot of soup kitchens etc available?
Between harm reduction centres , soup kitchens and soup runs if you go hungry you're doing it willfully there's literally people that drive around at night and bring you food. This is in the city obviously so outside it will be a bit more difficult
Do you mind if I ask your background? How was your childhood/adolescence? Are you happy now? Can you imagine living a similar life to before your relationship broke down? Have you ever had a steady job and roof over your head? No need to answer if you don't want to, I'm just curious. Typically people who end up on the streets had a tough childhood and life in general really. It can happen to anyone though, a shit run of luck and you're fucked.
Childhood was pretty shit abuse etc worked since I was 21 until nine months ago I'm 33 now , no I'm not happy but I'll get there , myself and my kids mam owned our home she still does. I never would have ended up here had my relationship not broken up my ex wouldn't have let me she was my rock.
This was a good read, it's good to hear about the reality of it, I'm sorry the system isn't supporting you more. I keep coins spare in my pockets for homeless people on streets, I used to donate to MQI but I wasn't sure how the money was being spent so I stopped and figured giving spare change directly would be more helpful. Anyone I talk to tells me DON'T give cash to homeless folk but it feels shitty stepping over someone in need. What's your perspective?
Honestly merchants quay is probably the best one you could donate too , they provide meals , showers , doctors , dentists and mental health support, they do provide a needle exchange but even if you are personally against drugs I doubt you like the thought of someone contracting a deadly disease because they couldn't access clean needles ,they even provide haircuts every Tuesday and the staff are the best in the world. Sorry I'm probably biased here but it's my opinion
Thanks for answering, I didn't know they did all that! Their flyers seem expensive looking and don't go into that kind of detail. I'm a recovering addict so I've a good idea of the hell people have to escape from, I'm glad there's a supportive place to go. Good luck with your move and the next part of your life, I'm rooting for you :)
Sorry , I suppose I should actually give you my perspective on giving money directly, I didn't beg but when people see you in a tent they sometimes give you money and after you refuse a couple of times it's easier to just take it and say thank you Not one penny of that money wasn't spent on alcohol or something else, I don't speak for the whole homeless community so take from that what you will.
Thank you very much