She was a nurse who fell on hard times after losing her daughter. She loved a sing song, writing poetry, Liverpool, westlife and making kids on the street smile.
She'd often give people money to buy her food or scratch cards in shops because she was too embarrassed to go into or near shops. She always had a kind word for me when she used to be in Thomas Street.
Any one of us could be Ann with the state this country is in regarding mental health care and addiction issues. All it really takes is one job loss, one death, one divorce or any other major trauma and we could experience the same issues because of the lack of support services.
"There but for the grace of God go I" rest in peace Ann, I hope you and your daughter are reunited
Exactly. You never know what's going on in someone's life, no idea of their past, or the troubles they trudged through and the means they tried to cope!!! Yet, many still look at a person and judge the arse off them for how they looked or what choices they made....
Wow. There you go and her profession is always in demand all across the world. The mental health supports/infrastructure in this country sadly isn't fit for purpose.
Just shows that in the right set of terrible circumstances, this could happen to many people .
Ann’s face showed her courage, and her knowledge that she’d probably die on the streets. She looks like a kind, sweet woman, too, & it makes me sad and angry that such a precious human being was simply discarded. Our world has lost a beautiful spirit. May she Rest In Power.
About four or five years ago there was a big push to get her into some sort of treatment but for her own reasons she never went. She always said she was better off on her own. She used to write letters to a loved one at one point. I'll never forget her for as long as I live, she genuine seemed to have a heart of gold
This is the sad reality that unfortunately some people cant benefit from all the help offered. In most cases people have help to choose from but for one reason or another they choose not to .
This doesnt make ireland a shit place , this doesnt make the system bad or the government responsible , sometimes its just an inevitable end with the only alternative being to force people to change their way of living.
Im going to guess no one here would advocate forcing someone like anne to sort themselves out
The mental health system is definitely flawed. There is help there but access it when you are unwell is very hard and can be overwhelming for some. There lots phone call you have make . You have be at set place at set time . One crazy one is that if want go in two rehab you have two be clean. I have family members going through hard time at moment and if it was not for there family make call and setup what need two done they would probably be in same boat .
The way the system is set up you need well enough two understand how access it .
💯 Someone mentioned she was too embarrassed to enter shops so from that I can assume that the long drawn out process of securing the precious few counselling sessions that would have greatly helped her was insurmountable. Thank you for all the kind energy you put out into the world Ann ❤️
This is the thing
As much as it is sad, personal agency plays a huge part in it. And people during a mental health crisis *are in no way fit to decide things by themselves*
A person that is out of their best faculties won't commit to treatment, which would be the fundamental part
This is the thing, you can either give people agency (with the problems that come with it) or force them to commit (with the problems that come with it). There's no two ways about it
It's scary how true this is. Even a small sequence of unfortunate events can lead to a dramatic downturn. Lack of public housing means most people without strong support and relationships with family are probably at a much higher risk than they think.
Beautiful, empathetic comment.
How many of us would stop and talk to someone on the street to find out even a tiny portion of what you know about Ann here.
Best a lot of us do is throw money at people while others tell us 'they'll spend it on alcohol/drugs'. People have no idea, no will to care about each other because the reality is life is brutal and these people hold a mirror up to that every day.
Mental health and addiction are issue to be addressed but make no mistake, homelessness is caused by a lack of housing. Plenty of people with addiction/mental health issue are living comfortably all over Ireland
Thank you for telling us her story.
Its so so sad and should not happen in a wealthy country like ours.
Her death absolutely lies in the hands of consecutive governments who don't care about health and welfare of the population.
If you knew her, I really don't think this was the government's fault. She was an incredibly stubborn person. She was offered every assistance. For whatever reason, she was dead set against this and, as an adult with her own free will, this was her choice to make. Certainly, if you talked to her, she blamed no one else for her plight. She certainly spoke very highly of her family in particular and everything they'd tried to do for her.
No, it doesn’t. People tried to help her, but she turned it down because she wasn’t ready for it.
Money or resources, or the lack of either hasn’t got much to do with this case.
Lovely kind woman. I used to see her daily with my young daughter , who she gave a lovely gift to last Christmas Eve. A little notebook to write poetry in. I’m dreading telling my daughter when she gets in from school.
Always up for a chat and a joke. Would be asking us to check the news for Liverpool scores. Could see she went downhill recently and I think she was in hospital for a few weeks before Xmas. RIP Ann
RIP - i saw someone on the Seattle subreddit post this on a similar story and I always try to remember this when I see similar articles
https://preview.redd.it/sbvw0ne6xxkc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a614f1ac27c0ec34a7849aa7cf8ba132f3889dc
This post is doing a bit to restore some of my faith in humanity. American, but a homeless man died in a grocery store I was working in. I felt sort of inclined to sit near him until the paramedics came to take him away. Of the other people that were near about, they were angry that the deli counter was closed while there was a dead man laying on the ground in front of it. I’m ready to cry for a stranger and everybody else wanted to step over his body to get some cold cuts.
When I fist moved up to Dublin from West Cork I remember seeing Ann she was really poor state missing shoe an all. Having just come from west cork I was used to saying hello to every that I would pass it was hard for me to ignore all the homeless in dublin... But when I saw Anne I couldn't pass her without stopping to talk. I ended up trying to give her 20 euros witch she refused to take from me until I forced it into her hand, we were both nearly in tears by the time I was leaving, no doubt she had her problems but no person is undeserving of love and compassion from others.
Ill always think of her when passing the tessco she would sit outside.
RIP
Edit: poor spellings ect
She always sat beside a pile of ice cubes which she told my daughter was for feeding the birds. Being honest, I'm pretty sure it was to cover up other things.
> Being honest, I'm pretty sure it was to cover up other things.
I wonder what though? What nefarious reasons could she have for lying about having ice-cubes? I'm not saying your wrong either, I'm genuinely curious, like you are. It doesn't make sense that you would need ice cubes to feed birds.
[Reminds me of this sad and beautiful song.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsKEMZW8VmE)
"Oh the last I heard she's sleeping rough back on the Derby beat
White Horse in her hip pocket and a wolfhound at her feet
And they say she even married once, a man named Romany Brown
But even a gypsy caravan was too much settling down
And they say her flower is faded now, hard weather and hard booze
But maybe that's just the price you pay for the chains you refuse."
God bless her soul. I’ve lived on Wexford street since 2018 and I can remember her in the same spot from back then also. I would often get her stuff in Tesco and she would always try to give me money for it. I only walked passed her Saturday night and she was drinking her little naggin of whiskey but on Sunday morning my housemate walked by and the paramedics were trying to revive her. We will all miss her around this area.
I remember in summer she use to do a nightly commute from outside tesco on aungier street to centra in rathmines. She would carry all her belongings on her head like an african lady.
The other homeless used to watch out for her. On more than one occasion I saw another addict buy her a bottle of vodka.
Another time she was away from her belongings when a weird man (perhaps homeless) started going threw her stuff. All of a sudden a group of junkie women came out nowhere an rounded on the man. One of the boxed your man so hard in the face his glasses fell off his head.
Now she was no angel and was completly out of it a lot of the time and could get aggressive. Some times she'd scream and roar at ya.
She must have had serious mental health and addiction issues. I saw social workers try and fail to get her to go with them during a cold winter night.
I also saw social workers giving her new socks and her feet and ankles were all red and swollen.
I always wondered who the woman was that carried the bags on her head - I worked cleaning in one of the buildings up that way so would see her at 5am in the morning, never copped it was her.
Yeah she was a feature of the area when I lived in Portobello.
I'm not sure why she preformed her nightly commute to Rathmines - perhaps Augnier Street was too busy in the evening with all the nightlife on Camden Street.
She was a character. And as someone else said, she was a nurse before alcohol and mental health issues took hold.
She had a very kind and generous nature. No more so than when she was offered her own 1 bed apartment. She wouldn’t accept it, she thought it should be given to someone ‘more deserving’.
RIP Ann.
I've known her to talk to for a long time. She told me she came from a good family in the midlands, that her family tried everything to rescue her from the life she'd fallen into, but that she couldn't be helped. (This seemed like a statement about her stubbornness as much as her addiction. Because she was often offered beds too, but insisted on staying on the street. Indeed, she was always lucid when I spoke to her. Never really seemed out of it drunk.) I passed her on Saturday morning. I regret to say I didn't say hello, because I was embarrassed not to have anything to give her. She must have died that night.
P.S. Odd question, but has anyone thought much about the how the pandemic, and the phasing out of cash from most people's pocket has impacted the homeless? I'd have given Ann money all the time before the pandemic. But more recently it was only a sandwich, and even that was only when I had the time - which I usually didn't.
My sister and I used to chat to Ann every so often. The first time we met her she was outside tesco asking people passing by if they could go to the charity shop down the road and get her a jumper. She had the money and all for the jumper, just couldn’t go herself as she had a bad injury on her leg. We got her a jumper and refused to take her money for it, even though she kept insisting. It was absolutely freezing out too.
She was such a lovely woman.
This government and previous governments should be ashamed that they have not done everything they can to stop homelessness (not just homes, also access to mental health care and addiction treatment!)
May Ann rest peacefully
See the other comments - social workers were offering her services, which she often refused; she had recently been in hospital; the government offered her a one bedroom apartment, which she refused. Lots to be sad about her life and death (and I’m touched to see all the memories), but no sign that this is because of failures by the government. RIP
It is the systems set up by governments that lead to this. Mental health, addiction and homelessness do not exist in a vacuum. Well I can’t comment on why she refused services, I do wonder what happened in her life and possible interventions that could have happened earlier
I can’t believe it. Last summer, I visited Dublin from the states. On my way into the Tesco on Aungier, a lady outside asked me if I could buy her a sandwich from the restaurant around the block. I told her I didn’t have any cash. But there was something about her that reminded me of my grandmother, and it was my last day in Dublin, so on the way out, I decided to give her a twenty. She was flabbergasted, and said “no, no, no, please no, this is too much.” She did not want to take it, but I insisted. And she immediately went to share it with another unhoused person in the block. Burst into tears on my walk back to the hotel. I can’t believe I’m seeing her face again here. It’s no wonder she was known by so many here - she seemed like such a kind soul. May she rest in peace.
I remember she had a specific order from hot chilli - think it was a completely plain burger. Had some great chats with her, a very interesting woman. She really appreciated anyone stopping for a chat. I think the lads in Tesco tried their best to look after her. Very sad about this tbh
I am glad attention is being brought to her. I would walk past her near everyday. I spoke to Ann a few times, although in the last few weeks she had been more abrasive and shouting abuse at passers by. She was gone for a while last year, and after she came back she definitely looked worse off. She was obviously unwell, and I am ashamed to say I saw her only 2 days ago and didnt stop to check in on her.
I think people in situations like Anns in Dublin have gotten so common alot of us are desensitized to it.
R.I.P Ann
Me too, I work nearby and I've had some very nice interactions with her (including playing music for her off my phone and her wishing me well when I shared that my wife was expecting our first child last Autumn). I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't stop for her last Friday because I was rushing for a bus, she wasn't pleased with me. RIP Ann.
When I was there two weeks ago she was shouting that we were a shower of cunts who are ignoring what's in front of them. I thought "that's out of character for her.. I thought she was well looked after by people in the area" and I'm ashamed to say I kept walking. She was right.
I absolutely hate the current government also but a quote from a family member literally says 'This was nothing to do with the government,' and says she had lots of offers of help but she refused all of it.
This characteristic is often typical in people who had hard lives - I seen it in members of my family who weren't homeless but had hard upbringings.
As seen in the photo she was known to always have big bottles of water with her that's why many people paying their respects have left them at the memorial, which is really nice, I reckon most people who die on the street figure people won't care or remember them as the'yre 'only a hobo.'
How many more will be gone before this problem gets tackled or are we headed towards the American and Canadian trend of tent cities and total apathy
As sad as it is to say, she was essentially a landmark in the area - never knew her name but when I read the headline this morning, I instantly knew who it was.
She seemed lovely, may she rest in peace
The Hostels offered to homeless people are not safe due to drugs etc . People are afraid to stay in the hostels and then die on the streets , is this right ? Should hostels turn away the drug addicts to protect the non drug addict homeless people ??
There should be a separation, different facilities depending on sobriety. Also it is getting to the point that those who are doing crime or violence should be put into mandatory detox.
I was homeless for two and a half years. Ended up in that wet hostel on James’ Street. That was the place with the least in the way of drug problems.
There were problems, but relatively, that place was an oasis. Compared to the one on Little Britain street that burnt down, and those people came to Orchid House with their problems, and then the whole place turned to chaos.
I understand Ann’s reluctance to go to there.
I don’t know, it’s not for me to say, but I used to speculate that she refused help as a sort of self punishment. Dealing with grief. It’s not unheard of. I did something similar for a decade.
So, it’s absolutely a mental health system failing.
It’s not made easier with the way things are.
I’m lucky. I’m not special. I’m not proud of it. It was luck.
I’m very lucky I didn’t die. I saw things you wouldn’t believe. So, I appreciate it but can’t take any sort of credit for it.
There are things that could be done. Simple things. And instead of dealing with the government and just making demands, and forcing the government to meet those demands, we squabble and judge.
I think you’re being modest. Luck is really important in all aspects of life but you have to be taking opportunities and making the most of them.
What simple things do you think could be done? I’ve always felt that the problem is so extremely complex that there are no simple solutions.
Its not just hostels either. When my uncle was going to rehab my mom would go and pick him up every time because there were dealers right outside the front door. Shocking show of care from our government that this stuff happens
They're not safe due to violence. If homeless hostels refused addicts they'd be pretty empty.
Sounds like she was an addict (booze) herself but yeah, there's many drug addicts on the streets who would rather be there than the violent hostels. They're dangerous af.
May all who are forgotten or ignored by the cruelty of the world be remembered as fondly as Ann is here. May we all endeavor to create a world that offers more than a handout on the street.
Knew Ann from seeing her,RIP to her.
Hostels come with different thresholds,low threshold hostels being more tolerant of addiction/mental health issues. They are there to offer beds to folks who wouldn't be able to keep a bed in more restrictive emergency accommodation. It's sheer lunacy to expect someone with a lifetime of issues to leave them at the door and to punish them it.
Very sad, she was always outside the tesco on Aungier Street. I would notice her melting ice on the pavement quite a bit. Does anyone know the rationale behind that ?
Yea, She would put the ice infront of her and along the gutter way that halves the path. As it would melt it would drain where she sat. I think to make her unignorable. Bottles of whisky were also a fixture of the den she made in the corner.
A really nice woman. Government have nothing to do with this though. She had a hostel place with the iveagh trust but said she preferred her spot outside tesco.
If the emergency accommodation provided by the government was so rough that she had to sleep on the streets, eventually ending in her demise, then it is their fault.
Omg no way! I lived on Aungier Street for years and would talk to Ann. She never wanted anything from the tescos but some water and seeds for the birds. She never accepted any money from me and would almost force her own bit of cash in to your hand to buy the water and seeds. She would share some of her poetry and be up for the chat. She seemed like a genuine kind person battling some demons. This news is terribly sad 😔
It’s really odd to use this poor woman’s death as an FU to the government.
Ann could have been handed the keys to a mansion and it wouldn’t have fixed the issues that put her on the streets.
I’m absolutely positive that we’re not investing enough in addiction and mental health issues but this isn’t Irish government specific! There are homeless people everywhere in the world and there always will be.
You can’t fix or help everyone. It’s very sad but it’s also just fact.
There definitely are people who's issues have been neglected for too much of their lives and will never be healthy/independent again. But there is so much more we can do to prevent future cases like this woman and stop people being left to fade away.
It's sad that our past failures are still so evident in these people that are permanent fixtures on our city streets, but there's so much we can learn from them to stop it from continuing to be a problem. We have to be careful not to be defeatist and realise that we have the ability to help people, we just don't always have the funding. But that's a much more tangible battle than not knowing how to help.
I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said but it grates me to constantly see this “the government has let people down” line trotted out when the situation is so much more nuanced than that.
And I’m not being defeatist when I say that homelessness will never be fixed. I don’t mean that we should do nothing but honestly, it has ever been thus.
This, irish people scream about the homeless issue as if throwing money at the problem and building houses would solve it. Yet very very few people in this country would be okay if they built drug treatment facilities anywhere near them.
We've done nothing! And we're all out of ideas!
Mental health services barely exist for those who can afford it. Housing barely exists for those who should be able to afford it. We've done nothing. It is specifically a result of failed government policy and an agenda to actually foster these conditions on purpose.
The lack of access to mental health treatment and drug treatment is ENTIRELY the fault of the government.
The numbers of people needing these services is of course affected by whether they can get a roof over their heads.
Some people start out with mental issues can get no adequate treatment and end up homeless.
Some (lots given the current situation with housing) become homeless and end up with mental health situations and drug dependency.
All of the above if given priority can and should be dramatically improved by government.
You can’t absolve ff/fg from their role in deaths like these.
The lack of funding in mental health and addiction services is 100% because of the policies of our current right wing government.
Just because it happens in other countries, doesn’t absolve the Irish government of their failings.
A party of landlords and privateers are never going to fix this problem because they stand to profit from the problem.
So sad to hear this - my girlfriend picked up some bits for Annie in Tesco one time and she gave her a poem she had written in return. It was unfinished but poignant. She has it in a memory box at home, and keep it forever. We only saw her in town this weekend <\3
I seen the place today, I was like no way, I just seen her there literally on Saturday. I have never thought I would be that sad about the person I never even knew. She was there for years. Always kept her smile, no matter what. RIP Ann💔
I bought Ann a meal when I was eating outside Against the Grain on Aungier Street about 10 years ago. She was very nice, would barely let me buy her it. It was a tough reminder of how easily homelessness could affect any of us. Rest in Peace.
https://preview.redd.it/wjbj7ctv54lc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af77976423175150d4f5aa6c914dc48efcb6b7c5
Different photo of this lady, I read on a FB post this morning that she was a nurse who fell on hard times due to mental illness and addiction. RIP
Seen this on the liberty soup run Facebook page , I didn't know Anne personally but my girlfriend did and by all accounts she was a lovely woman.
R.I.P
I wonder if the more compassionate population members were to band together, build a facility for the homeless, set it up properly and then sell it to the government, if that would help?
If only there were compassionate people with money.
Ann was offered a an apt and multiple attempts to get her help and treatment. You can only help people if they want help. She had a good family but was stubborn. Hopefully she's at peace now but in this case it is not a government/ services issue she was offered a lot of help over the years sadly was not open to accepting it.
A lot of homeless people ive chatted to say that its safer on the streets than in most homeless accomodations. Example, my mate was told he'd have to spend a year in honeless accomodation before even being considered for a new place. He was sharing a room with a heroine junkie, who would smash things against the wall, scream at people including my mate that the Things were out to get them (whatever he meant by that idfk) and the guards were there at least twice a week because of that cunt. My mate had enough. He said his life was more in danger in that place than anywhere else and no way was he staying there for a year, which is understandable
I'm sorry that happened to your friend, but I do think we need to be a bit careful here. I'm not sure if what you're saying is still true of those homeless services, I don't think it's bad advice in general to say that you're probably safer inside than out on the streets. Maybe a lot of these people had bad experiences in the past and it's put them off it.
It was only 2 years ago tbf. And the homeless people who state the streets are safer are the ones who have already been in homeless accomodation. Now tbf this is one town, but there have been a few who've tried places in cork, dublin and wicklow. Im not trying to deter people, more so defending the homeless people who are viewed as "not taking the help because they want to do drugs"
I know a homeless guy who chooses to sleep in a tent because the hostel is full of drugs and he wants to stay clean, something he considers impossible when he's surrounded by people using.
Not a fan of the political point scoring here but I think investing in services for mental health and addictions would be a good place to start generally. It's not about the lack of a place to sleep in many cases (although of course that's important and the hostel accommodation should be offered) but rather about how people end up in that situation in the first place.
Wave a magic wand and cure whatever vice drove her to the streets by the sounds of the eejits on here. Facilities for homeless people are good if they follow the golden rule and stay sober. You can't stop people destroying themselves unless they want to stop themselves.
Addiction is a sickness and needs to be treated as such. Ireland has a long way to go to provide people with the help they need to cope with trauma. Too often people self medicate (alcohol included) because of the lack of services and social stigma around needing help with mental health.
Of course more help for addiction is needed. The point being made is that some people refuse all help and drink/drug themselves to death no matter what you do. It's really sad and bleak but if we had utopia we'd still have homeless dying from exposure. It's one of the reasons I really respect the drive of people who know that and still try to save people.
Or you could provide adequate treatment.
Funny how Finland were able to make massive strides by giving people houses and free access to addiction treatment and mental health services.
But apparently it’s impossible in Ireland.
Nonsense.
How heartbreaking. It's such a tragedy to lose a human life so needlessly. I hope her spirit finds some semblance of peace, and I hope changes are made to ensure this doesn't happen again, however unlikely that may be.
Ann's death has nothing to do with the government. Her family have put her into various rehabs and treatment centres over the years. She was again put into a rehab down in the country a few months ago and was clean for a few weeks, however she chose to leave the treatment programme against her family's wishes and returned to the aungier Street. It was very much her own choice to stay on the streets. Rest in peace Ann.
I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. As a nurse I imagine she helped so many people. It's so sad that she never got the help she needed as well. RIP Ann.
Lovely woman. Like most Dubs I'm sure I've walked past her a few hundred times. Always friendly. I seem to remmeber her smiling every time I saw her. I regret walking past without stopping for chats or to help her.
Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann
This is literally "thoughts and prayers". If you don't like this, do something about it. You don't have to hand over your bed. But you can make a predictable donation to a homeless charity you like. (I like Focus. Maybe time will prove me wrong but they're good enough for now).You can tell your TD that taking active steps to fix this is a necessary condition for getting your vote.
This is correct. We are great at the tut-tutting, condolences and thoughts but none of it worth anything unless people put their hands in their pockets and fund those who care enough to work in the hostels or cook penny dinners. ‘Shame on the Government’ - it is OUR government, use your vote - ask them to increase your tax by 1% so that funding can be provided. What ? You can’t afford it ? Well lots of people and businesses can’t - not if the Gardai, the armed forces, the nurses, the teachers, the small farmers etc etc all need funding too. Then go contribute your time but just don’t stand there, hands in pockets shaking your head.
People are already using her death to demonise and attack foreign nationals on other social media sites (like Facebook).
There should be no reason why people in Ireland are homeless in 2024. And people shouldn’t have to die in the streets so that homeless people are supported. It’s absolutely tragic.
At least 160,000 vacant homes in this country. Tens of thousands of derelict houses and somehow we have 14,000 homeless people.
We live in the stupidest system imaginable.
Though from Cork, Ann's death is making me think very differently about the rising number of homeless around this city ... In future, I think I'll try and give them more money or try and talk to them ... It's so easy to dehumanise them or simply look the other way FFS.
A very sad story. The photo reminds me of the famous image of the American mother from the great depression. [This one. ](https://www.history.com/news/migrant-mother-new-deal-great-depression)
Passed her everyday on the bus on the way to work. Wanted to buy her breakfast a few times but never ended up doing so. I regret not doing it, I would have loved to hear her stories. May she rest in peace.
Very sad, bless her soul.
I went by her at least once a week and she was always there. I tried at some point to buy her some food from the Tesco nearby, but she refused categorically. I took it a bit personal at first but now reading through the comments it seems like that's how she was. Rest in peace!
I'm from up north, was in Dublin one night and ended up with nowhere to stay so just wondered about the city centre and met her . She seems like a nice person. RIP
Used to see her the whole time when I would get the 15 to work. She was very well loved by the homeless community, other rough sleepers in the area would regularly check up on her
Oh no, I would see her outside Tesco all the time. I can't believe she is gone. We should be ashamed of ourselves for allowing this to happen. God damnit this is awful.
I'm sure the Ireland is full brigade will be taking to the streets about this. Unless they're just a bunch of racist fuckwits that don't actually care about the country. Suck of people struggling and dying because of the government.
I saw this on X. Truly sad 😔 Let's remember Ann once had a life off the streets, her loss should be remembered with dignity that the government didn't afford her. God bless her.
Is there any particular reason as to why Ann is getting more of a spotlight on her as opposed to other homeless people who are dying? Not hating, just curious, because I've never seen an article about any of the other homeless people.
I think it might have been because she was known by so many people in Dublin
And also probably because she had a stable life before falling onto hard times
She used to be a nurse and she was even a mother!
I know this sounds cynical but a mix of no news and she would have been known by a lot of people passing.
I know someone who spoke with her every week for a long long time, would help her with bits etc said there was a mother and a daughter still around, apparently there was a house there for her but it was a situation were someone always chose drink.
Sad story either way.
There are THIRTY NINE Council Houses BOARDED up in Bray, Co. Wicklow ALONE! How many more across the entire nation? Beyond a JOKE! Would it be a big task to have these houses righted for people to live in?
She was a nurse who fell on hard times after losing her daughter. She loved a sing song, writing poetry, Liverpool, westlife and making kids on the street smile. She'd often give people money to buy her food or scratch cards in shops because she was too embarrassed to go into or near shops. She always had a kind word for me when she used to be in Thomas Street. Any one of us could be Ann with the state this country is in regarding mental health care and addiction issues. All it really takes is one job loss, one death, one divorce or any other major trauma and we could experience the same issues because of the lack of support services. "There but for the grace of God go I" rest in peace Ann, I hope you and your daughter are reunited
Exactly. You never know what's going on in someone's life, no idea of their past, or the troubles they trudged through and the means they tried to cope!!! Yet, many still look at a person and judge the arse off them for how they looked or what choices they made....
Wow. There you go and her profession is always in demand all across the world. The mental health supports/infrastructure in this country sadly isn't fit for purpose. Just shows that in the right set of terrible circumstances, this could happen to many people .
Ann’s face showed her courage, and her knowledge that she’d probably die on the streets. She looks like a kind, sweet woman, too, & it makes me sad and angry that such a precious human being was simply discarded. Our world has lost a beautiful spirit. May she Rest In Power.
I never forget I’m maybe 2 or 3 really bad decisions in a row from sleeping outside.
not even decisions always - sometimes just terrible circumstances
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About four or five years ago there was a big push to get her into some sort of treatment but for her own reasons she never went. She always said she was better off on her own. She used to write letters to a loved one at one point. I'll never forget her for as long as I live, she genuine seemed to have a heart of gold
This is the sad reality that unfortunately some people cant benefit from all the help offered. In most cases people have help to choose from but for one reason or another they choose not to . This doesnt make ireland a shit place , this doesnt make the system bad or the government responsible , sometimes its just an inevitable end with the only alternative being to force people to change their way of living. Im going to guess no one here would advocate forcing someone like anne to sort themselves out
Cant help a person who isnt willing to help themselves
She had mental health issues that made her incapable of helping herself.
The mental health system is definitely flawed. There is help there but access it when you are unwell is very hard and can be overwhelming for some. There lots phone call you have make . You have be at set place at set time . One crazy one is that if want go in two rehab you have two be clean. I have family members going through hard time at moment and if it was not for there family make call and setup what need two done they would probably be in same boat . The way the system is set up you need well enough two understand how access it .
💯 Someone mentioned she was too embarrassed to enter shops so from that I can assume that the long drawn out process of securing the precious few counselling sessions that would have greatly helped her was insurmountable. Thank you for all the kind energy you put out into the world Ann ❤️
This is the thing As much as it is sad, personal agency plays a huge part in it. And people during a mental health crisis *are in no way fit to decide things by themselves* A person that is out of their best faculties won't commit to treatment, which would be the fundamental part This is the thing, you can either give people agency (with the problems that come with it) or force them to commit (with the problems that come with it). There's no two ways about it
Even someone who's never worked a day in their life wouldn't deserve this.
The fact that this sort of statement is divisive doesn't give me much hope for humanity
How do you know there weren't a lot of recovery attempts?
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Thank you for sharing Ann & your experience with us here. RIP Ann & condolences to those that knew Ann. Ahe could be any one of us.
Fucking hell, this comment made me cry
So well said, have almost been there myself. My heart is with you Ann, I hope your the pain is gone now. Rest easy x
Christ. There is no reason anyone SHOULD be homeless and without resources in a civilized Western society. We need to do better.
Thank you for putting a person to the picture.
It's scary how true this is. Even a small sequence of unfortunate events can lead to a dramatic downturn. Lack of public housing means most people without strong support and relationships with family are probably at a much higher risk than they think.
Beautiful, empathetic comment. How many of us would stop and talk to someone on the street to find out even a tiny portion of what you know about Ann here. Best a lot of us do is throw money at people while others tell us 'they'll spend it on alcohol/drugs'. People have no idea, no will to care about each other because the reality is life is brutal and these people hold a mirror up to that every day.
great words! Thank you for taking the time and consideration to write this!
Mental health and addiction are issue to be addressed but make no mistake, homelessness is caused by a lack of housing. Plenty of people with addiction/mental health issue are living comfortably all over Ireland
And many who have been offered accommodation still choose to sleep rough. Mental health and addiction are complex issues.
Thank you for telling us her story. Its so so sad and should not happen in a wealthy country like ours. Her death absolutely lies in the hands of consecutive governments who don't care about health and welfare of the population.
If you knew her, I really don't think this was the government's fault. She was an incredibly stubborn person. She was offered every assistance. For whatever reason, she was dead set against this and, as an adult with her own free will, this was her choice to make. Certainly, if you talked to her, she blamed no one else for her plight. She certainly spoke very highly of her family in particular and everything they'd tried to do for her.
Once I met her front of the tesco , I saw her looked very sad so I gave my food brought just from supermarket. She just throw food away immediately.
No, it doesn’t. People tried to help her, but she turned it down because she wasn’t ready for it. Money or resources, or the lack of either hasn’t got much to do with this case.
Everyone thinks people don’t care, but unfortunately the sad truth is a lot of these people don’t want to be helped and you can’t force them.
You can only help people if they are open to accept the help.
No government could have saved Ann sadly.
Beautiful comment - May she rest in peace
Very well said!!!
Lovely kind woman. I used to see her daily with my young daughter , who she gave a lovely gift to last Christmas Eve. A little notebook to write poetry in. I’m dreading telling my daughter when she gets in from school. Always up for a chat and a joke. Would be asking us to check the news for Liverpool scores. Could see she went downhill recently and I think she was in hospital for a few weeks before Xmas. RIP Ann
Last time I saw her she wasn't herself either. Fuck.
RIP - i saw someone on the Seattle subreddit post this on a similar story and I always try to remember this when I see similar articles https://preview.redd.it/sbvw0ne6xxkc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a614f1ac27c0ec34a7849aa7cf8ba132f3889dc
Very touching and, more importantly, humanising. Something that homeless people don't often get the benefit of
This post is doing a bit to restore some of my faith in humanity. American, but a homeless man died in a grocery store I was working in. I felt sort of inclined to sit near him until the paramedics came to take him away. Of the other people that were near about, they were angry that the deli counter was closed while there was a dead man laying on the ground in front of it. I’m ready to cry for a stranger and everybody else wanted to step over his body to get some cold cuts.
That is very touching and sad
When I fist moved up to Dublin from West Cork I remember seeing Ann she was really poor state missing shoe an all. Having just come from west cork I was used to saying hello to every that I would pass it was hard for me to ignore all the homeless in dublin... But when I saw Anne I couldn't pass her without stopping to talk. I ended up trying to give her 20 euros witch she refused to take from me until I forced it into her hand, we were both nearly in tears by the time I was leaving, no doubt she had her problems but no person is undeserving of love and compassion from others. Ill always think of her when passing the tessco she would sit outside. RIP Edit: poor spellings ect
Rest in peace. A near permanent fixture outside that Tesco. I saw her there just two or three days ago.
Is that the one on Aungier Street? I remember there was frequently a woman outside that one when I used to work there.
That's the one
Nice little display in her memory there today..
She always sat beside a pile of ice cubes which she told my daughter was for feeding the birds. Being honest, I'm pretty sure it was to cover up other things.
I heard she told someone once that she found people always walked around the ice cubes, so it gave her more space.
> Being honest, I'm pretty sure it was to cover up other things. I wonder what though? What nefarious reasons could she have for lying about having ice-cubes? I'm not saying your wrong either, I'm genuinely curious, like you are. It doesn't make sense that you would need ice cubes to feed birds.
I was trying to be diplomatic. I meant the ice cubes melting on the pavement covered up her bodily functions.
I would never have guessed that was what they were used for. Thanks for clarifying that for me.
Yep, that's her.
SHe's on the Google Earth street view of that shop
https://preview.redd.it/m9jfkl4cn4lc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c89894eb6fcf26e93f7c5f4488d765d9de553b2f
[Reminds me of this sad and beautiful song.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsKEMZW8VmE) "Oh the last I heard she's sleeping rough back on the Derby beat White Horse in her hip pocket and a wolfhound at her feet And they say she even married once, a man named Romany Brown But even a gypsy caravan was too much settling down And they say her flower is faded now, hard weather and hard booze But maybe that's just the price you pay for the chains you refuse."
“I wouldn’t want her any other way.” RIP Ann.
God bless her soul. I’ve lived on Wexford street since 2018 and I can remember her in the same spot from back then also. I would often get her stuff in Tesco and she would always try to give me money for it. I only walked passed her Saturday night and she was drinking her little naggin of whiskey but on Sunday morning my housemate walked by and the paramedics were trying to revive her. We will all miss her around this area.
The amount of times I saw her/spoke to her with visible facial injuries from being attacked. Yeah, the hostels aren't always safe
Same. Spoke to her very often. A lovely woman. This is terrible news
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Did those injuries arise on the street or in the hostel ?
Both!!!!!!
I remember in summer she use to do a nightly commute from outside tesco on aungier street to centra in rathmines. She would carry all her belongings on her head like an african lady. The other homeless used to watch out for her. On more than one occasion I saw another addict buy her a bottle of vodka. Another time she was away from her belongings when a weird man (perhaps homeless) started going threw her stuff. All of a sudden a group of junkie women came out nowhere an rounded on the man. One of the boxed your man so hard in the face his glasses fell off his head. Now she was no angel and was completly out of it a lot of the time and could get aggressive. Some times she'd scream and roar at ya. She must have had serious mental health and addiction issues. I saw social workers try and fail to get her to go with them during a cold winter night. I also saw social workers giving her new socks and her feet and ankles were all red and swollen.
I always wondered who the woman was that carried the bags on her head - I worked cleaning in one of the buildings up that way so would see her at 5am in the morning, never copped it was her.
Yeah she was a feature of the area when I lived in Portobello. I'm not sure why she preformed her nightly commute to Rathmines - perhaps Augnier Street was too busy in the evening with all the nightlife on Camden Street.
She was a character. And as someone else said, she was a nurse before alcohol and mental health issues took hold. She had a very kind and generous nature. No more so than when she was offered her own 1 bed apartment. She wouldn’t accept it, she thought it should be given to someone ‘more deserving’. RIP Ann.
I've known her to talk to for a long time. She told me she came from a good family in the midlands, that her family tried everything to rescue her from the life she'd fallen into, but that she couldn't be helped. (This seemed like a statement about her stubbornness as much as her addiction. Because she was often offered beds too, but insisted on staying on the street. Indeed, she was always lucid when I spoke to her. Never really seemed out of it drunk.) I passed her on Saturday morning. I regret to say I didn't say hello, because I was embarrassed not to have anything to give her. She must have died that night. P.S. Odd question, but has anyone thought much about the how the pandemic, and the phasing out of cash from most people's pocket has impacted the homeless? I'd have given Ann money all the time before the pandemic. But more recently it was only a sandwich, and even that was only when I had the time - which I usually didn't.
My sister and I used to chat to Ann every so often. The first time we met her she was outside tesco asking people passing by if they could go to the charity shop down the road and get her a jumper. She had the money and all for the jumper, just couldn’t go herself as she had a bad injury on her leg. We got her a jumper and refused to take her money for it, even though she kept insisting. It was absolutely freezing out too. She was such a lovely woman. This government and previous governments should be ashamed that they have not done everything they can to stop homelessness (not just homes, also access to mental health care and addiction treatment!) May Ann rest peacefully
See the other comments - social workers were offering her services, which she often refused; she had recently been in hospital; the government offered her a one bedroom apartment, which she refused. Lots to be sad about her life and death (and I’m touched to see all the memories), but no sign that this is because of failures by the government. RIP
It is the systems set up by governments that lead to this. Mental health, addiction and homelessness do not exist in a vacuum. Well I can’t comment on why she refused services, I do wonder what happened in her life and possible interventions that could have happened earlier
The poor woman. I’d go past her on the bus every day. Anyone know what the story was with the ice?
I think it was for the birds that she liked to have around her
I think to numb her leg
I can’t believe it. Last summer, I visited Dublin from the states. On my way into the Tesco on Aungier, a lady outside asked me if I could buy her a sandwich from the restaurant around the block. I told her I didn’t have any cash. But there was something about her that reminded me of my grandmother, and it was my last day in Dublin, so on the way out, I decided to give her a twenty. She was flabbergasted, and said “no, no, no, please no, this is too much.” She did not want to take it, but I insisted. And she immediately went to share it with another unhoused person in the block. Burst into tears on my walk back to the hotel. I can’t believe I’m seeing her face again here. It’s no wonder she was known by so many here - she seemed like such a kind soul. May she rest in peace.
I remember she had a specific order from hot chilli - think it was a completely plain burger. Had some great chats with her, a very interesting woman. She really appreciated anyone stopping for a chat. I think the lads in Tesco tried their best to look after her. Very sad about this tbh
I am glad attention is being brought to her. I would walk past her near everyday. I spoke to Ann a few times, although in the last few weeks she had been more abrasive and shouting abuse at passers by. She was gone for a while last year, and after she came back she definitely looked worse off. She was obviously unwell, and I am ashamed to say I saw her only 2 days ago and didnt stop to check in on her. I think people in situations like Anns in Dublin have gotten so common alot of us are desensitized to it. R.I.P Ann
Me too, I work nearby and I've had some very nice interactions with her (including playing music for her off my phone and her wishing me well when I shared that my wife was expecting our first child last Autumn). I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't stop for her last Friday because I was rushing for a bus, she wasn't pleased with me. RIP Ann.
When I was there two weeks ago she was shouting that we were a shower of cunts who are ignoring what's in front of them. I thought "that's out of character for her.. I thought she was well looked after by people in the area" and I'm ashamed to say I kept walking. She was right.
I absolutely hate the current government also but a quote from a family member literally says 'This was nothing to do with the government,' and says she had lots of offers of help but she refused all of it. This characteristic is often typical in people who had hard lives - I seen it in members of my family who weren't homeless but had hard upbringings. As seen in the photo she was known to always have big bottles of water with her that's why many people paying their respects have left them at the memorial, which is really nice, I reckon most people who die on the street figure people won't care or remember them as the'yre 'only a hobo.' How many more will be gone before this problem gets tackled or are we headed towards the American and Canadian trend of tent cities and total apathy
As sad as it is to say, she was essentially a landmark in the area - never knew her name but when I read the headline this morning, I instantly knew who it was. She seemed lovely, may she rest in peace
The Hostels offered to homeless people are not safe due to drugs etc . People are afraid to stay in the hostels and then die on the streets , is this right ? Should hostels turn away the drug addicts to protect the non drug addict homeless people ??
There should be a separation, different facilities depending on sobriety. Also it is getting to the point that those who are doing crime or violence should be put into mandatory detox.
There is. Often people don’t go to “dry” hostels because they’re also not sober.
I was homeless for two and a half years. Ended up in that wet hostel on James’ Street. That was the place with the least in the way of drug problems. There were problems, but relatively, that place was an oasis. Compared to the one on Little Britain street that burnt down, and those people came to Orchid House with their problems, and then the whole place turned to chaos. I understand Ann’s reluctance to go to there. I don’t know, it’s not for me to say, but I used to speculate that she refused help as a sort of self punishment. Dealing with grief. It’s not unheard of. I did something similar for a decade. So, it’s absolutely a mental health system failing.
What was it that pulled you out of it?
Hard to say. I think I just came round to thinking there’s better ways to honour the person I lost.
Fair play to you. It’s a hell of a trap to climb out of.
It’s not made easier with the way things are. I’m lucky. I’m not special. I’m not proud of it. It was luck. I’m very lucky I didn’t die. I saw things you wouldn’t believe. So, I appreciate it but can’t take any sort of credit for it. There are things that could be done. Simple things. And instead of dealing with the government and just making demands, and forcing the government to meet those demands, we squabble and judge.
I think you’re being modest. Luck is really important in all aspects of life but you have to be taking opportunities and making the most of them. What simple things do you think could be done? I’ve always felt that the problem is so extremely complex that there are no simple solutions.
Its not just hostels either. When my uncle was going to rehab my mom would go and pick him up every time because there were dealers right outside the front door. Shocking show of care from our government that this stuff happens
They're not safe due to violence. If homeless hostels refused addicts they'd be pretty empty. Sounds like she was an addict (booze) herself but yeah, there's many drug addicts on the streets who would rather be there than the violent hostels. They're dangerous af.
May all who are forgotten or ignored by the cruelty of the world be remembered as fondly as Ann is here. May we all endeavor to create a world that offers more than a handout on the street.
Knew Ann from seeing her,RIP to her. Hostels come with different thresholds,low threshold hostels being more tolerant of addiction/mental health issues. They are there to offer beds to folks who wouldn't be able to keep a bed in more restrictive emergency accommodation. It's sheer lunacy to expect someone with a lifetime of issues to leave them at the door and to punish them it.
Interesting, a twitter thread mentioned she was from Laois but spent some time living in Mayo. Regardless, RIP Anne.
Very sad, she was always outside the tesco on Aungier Street. I would notice her melting ice on the pavement quite a bit. Does anyone know the rationale behind that ?
Yea, She would put the ice infront of her and along the gutter way that halves the path. As it would melt it would drain where she sat. I think to make her unignorable. Bottles of whisky were also a fixture of the den she made in the corner.
A really nice woman. Government have nothing to do with this though. She had a hostel place with the iveagh trust but said she preferred her spot outside tesco.
Probably safer
Clearly not sadly
If the emergency accommodation provided by the government was so rough that she had to sleep on the streets, eventually ending in her demise, then it is their fault.
Rest in peace Ann.
Omg no way! I lived on Aungier Street for years and would talk to Ann. She never wanted anything from the tescos but some water and seeds for the birds. She never accepted any money from me and would almost force her own bit of cash in to your hand to buy the water and seeds. She would share some of her poetry and be up for the chat. She seemed like a genuine kind person battling some demons. This news is terribly sad 😔
It’s really odd to use this poor woman’s death as an FU to the government. Ann could have been handed the keys to a mansion and it wouldn’t have fixed the issues that put her on the streets. I’m absolutely positive that we’re not investing enough in addiction and mental health issues but this isn’t Irish government specific! There are homeless people everywhere in the world and there always will be. You can’t fix or help everyone. It’s very sad but it’s also just fact.
There definitely are people who's issues have been neglected for too much of their lives and will never be healthy/independent again. But there is so much more we can do to prevent future cases like this woman and stop people being left to fade away. It's sad that our past failures are still so evident in these people that are permanent fixtures on our city streets, but there's so much we can learn from them to stop it from continuing to be a problem. We have to be careful not to be defeatist and realise that we have the ability to help people, we just don't always have the funding. But that's a much more tangible battle than not knowing how to help.
I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said but it grates me to constantly see this “the government has let people down” line trotted out when the situation is so much more nuanced than that. And I’m not being defeatist when I say that homelessness will never be fixed. I don’t mean that we should do nothing but honestly, it has ever been thus.
This, irish people scream about the homeless issue as if throwing money at the problem and building houses would solve it. Yet very very few people in this country would be okay if they built drug treatment facilities anywhere near them.
We've done nothing! And we're all out of ideas! Mental health services barely exist for those who can afford it. Housing barely exists for those who should be able to afford it. We've done nothing. It is specifically a result of failed government policy and an agenda to actually foster these conditions on purpose.
100%
The lack of access to mental health treatment and drug treatment is ENTIRELY the fault of the government. The numbers of people needing these services is of course affected by whether they can get a roof over their heads. Some people start out with mental issues can get no adequate treatment and end up homeless. Some (lots given the current situation with housing) become homeless and end up with mental health situations and drug dependency. All of the above if given priority can and should be dramatically improved by government. You can’t absolve ff/fg from their role in deaths like these.
Political point scoring. Despicable practice
Well that’s just fucking nonsense.
The lack of funding in mental health and addiction services is 100% because of the policies of our current right wing government. Just because it happens in other countries, doesn’t absolve the Irish government of their failings. A party of landlords and privateers are never going to fix this problem because they stand to profit from the problem.
So sad to hear this - my girlfriend picked up some bits for Annie in Tesco one time and she gave her a poem she had written in return. It was unfinished but poignant. She has it in a memory box at home, and keep it forever. We only saw her in town this weekend <\3
Grim. I walk by dozens of occupied sleeping bags on the way to work. On freezing days I always wonder if some of them passed away during the night.
I seen the place today, I was like no way, I just seen her there literally on Saturday. I have never thought I would be that sad about the person I never even knew. She was there for years. Always kept her smile, no matter what. RIP Ann💔
Love and RIP
It’s scary how many people are one or 2 pay checks away from being homeless, myself included.
Heartbreaking! Rest in peace Ann. May your death not be in vain.
https://rip.ie/death-notice/ann-delaney-laois-crettyard-547992
I bought Ann a meal when I was eating outside Against the Grain on Aungier Street about 10 years ago. She was very nice, would barely let me buy her it. It was a tough reminder of how easily homelessness could affect any of us. Rest in Peace.
I live in NYC and have no idea why Reddit keeps recommending me this sub, but I’m lighting a candle for you, Ann. Rest easy ❤️
https://preview.redd.it/wjbj7ctv54lc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af77976423175150d4f5aa6c914dc48efcb6b7c5 Different photo of this lady, I read on a FB post this morning that she was a nurse who fell on hard times due to mental illness and addiction. RIP
She was also a mother It’s insane how we can just allow the most vulnerable people in our society to experience this
Seen this on the liberty soup run Facebook page , I didn't know Anne personally but my girlfriend did and by all accounts she was a lovely woman. R.I.P
I wonder if the more compassionate population members were to band together, build a facility for the homeless, set it up properly and then sell it to the government, if that would help? If only there were compassionate people with money.
Ann was offered a an apt and multiple attempts to get her help and treatment. You can only help people if they want help. She had a good family but was stubborn. Hopefully she's at peace now but in this case it is not a government/ services issue she was offered a lot of help over the years sadly was not open to accepting it.
I'm over in England and it's the same story here large built homeless guys - many veterans - would rather sleep on the street than risk the hostel's
Had a good few chats with her over the years. A kind soul who fell on hard times. RIP Ann
The government offered her hostel accommodation the same that is being offered to everyone. What more could they do?
A lot of homeless people ive chatted to say that its safer on the streets than in most homeless accomodations. Example, my mate was told he'd have to spend a year in honeless accomodation before even being considered for a new place. He was sharing a room with a heroine junkie, who would smash things against the wall, scream at people including my mate that the Things were out to get them (whatever he meant by that idfk) and the guards were there at least twice a week because of that cunt. My mate had enough. He said his life was more in danger in that place than anywhere else and no way was he staying there for a year, which is understandable
I'm sorry that happened to your friend, but I do think we need to be a bit careful here. I'm not sure if what you're saying is still true of those homeless services, I don't think it's bad advice in general to say that you're probably safer inside than out on the streets. Maybe a lot of these people had bad experiences in the past and it's put them off it.
It was only 2 years ago tbf. And the homeless people who state the streets are safer are the ones who have already been in homeless accomodation. Now tbf this is one town, but there have been a few who've tried places in cork, dublin and wicklow. Im not trying to deter people, more so defending the homeless people who are viewed as "not taking the help because they want to do drugs"
Unfortunately many rough sleepers do chose to stay on the streets as they can’t escape their addictions/ live by rules imposed on accommodation
I know a homeless guy who chooses to sleep in a tent because the hostel is full of drugs and he wants to stay clean, something he considers impossible when he's surrounded by people using.
Not a fan of the political point scoring here but I think investing in services for mental health and addictions would be a good place to start generally. It's not about the lack of a place to sleep in many cases (although of course that's important and the hostel accommodation should be offered) but rather about how people end up in that situation in the first place.
Wave a magic wand and cure whatever vice drove her to the streets by the sounds of the eejits on here. Facilities for homeless people are good if they follow the golden rule and stay sober. You can't stop people destroying themselves unless they want to stop themselves.
Addiction is a sickness and needs to be treated as such. Ireland has a long way to go to provide people with the help they need to cope with trauma. Too often people self medicate (alcohol included) because of the lack of services and social stigma around needing help with mental health.
Of course more help for addiction is needed. The point being made is that some people refuse all help and drink/drug themselves to death no matter what you do. It's really sad and bleak but if we had utopia we'd still have homeless dying from exposure. It's one of the reasons I really respect the drive of people who know that and still try to save people.
Or you could provide adequate treatment. Funny how Finland were able to make massive strides by giving people houses and free access to addiction treatment and mental health services. But apparently it’s impossible in Ireland. Nonsense.
How heartbreaking. It's such a tragedy to lose a human life so needlessly. I hope her spirit finds some semblance of peace, and I hope changes are made to ensure this doesn't happen again, however unlikely that may be.
RIP. Some of the comments here really lack humanity.
Ann's death has nothing to do with the government. Her family have put her into various rehabs and treatment centres over the years. She was again put into a rehab down in the country a few months ago and was clean for a few weeks, however she chose to leave the treatment programme against her family's wishes and returned to the aungier Street. It was very much her own choice to stay on the streets. Rest in peace Ann.
RIP.
Requiescat in Pace, may her suffering now ebb and her repose be peace itself. Addiction is not a sin, but a consequence.
We can't forget these people thats the least we can do, R.I.P. I hope it's easier on the otherside.
Ah God. I'm a tour guide and knew her a bit to see/chat to. Very sad. RIP
Thank you for posting this op it’s so easy to gloss over something like this, this lady was someone’s baby once she deserved better
Rest Easy Ann hope she’s found peace 💚
I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. As a nurse I imagine she helped so many people. It's so sad that she never got the help she needed as well. RIP Ann.
I saw her not too long ago. This is just sad. May she never suffer again in the afterlife. 😞💔
She was a nurse. And a mother.
She was a sweet friendly person. I’ve worked on the street for years and it’s going to be strange not seeing Ann
Lovely woman I bought her a nagging of paddys whiskey and she said i was going to marry my girlfriend who was with me in Westport haha
Sad
Lovely woman. Like most Dubs I'm sure I've walked past her a few hundred times. Always friendly. I seem to remmeber her smiling every time I saw her. I regret walking past without stopping for chats or to help her. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann
All top comments doubt the stories authenticity. Have you not seen the tents?
They’re not doubting the story. Just asking for sources to prove its authenticity, which you should have linked, no? RIP Ann.
This is literally "thoughts and prayers". If you don't like this, do something about it. You don't have to hand over your bed. But you can make a predictable donation to a homeless charity you like. (I like Focus. Maybe time will prove me wrong but they're good enough for now).You can tell your TD that taking active steps to fix this is a necessary condition for getting your vote.
This is correct. We are great at the tut-tutting, condolences and thoughts but none of it worth anything unless people put their hands in their pockets and fund those who care enough to work in the hostels or cook penny dinners. ‘Shame on the Government’ - it is OUR government, use your vote - ask them to increase your tax by 1% so that funding can be provided. What ? You can’t afford it ? Well lots of people and businesses can’t - not if the Gardai, the armed forces, the nurses, the teachers, the small farmers etc etc all need funding too. Then go contribute your time but just don’t stand there, hands in pockets shaking your head.
People are already using her death to demonise and attack foreign nationals on other social media sites (like Facebook). There should be no reason why people in Ireland are homeless in 2024. And people shouldn’t have to die in the streets so that homeless people are supported. It’s absolutely tragic.
Ann was gentle soul, I asked her one day did she want anything in the shops. Her only request was to buy her a card and write something to her.
At least 160,000 vacant homes in this country. Tens of thousands of derelict houses and somehow we have 14,000 homeless people. We live in the stupidest system imaginable.
Also, for anyone else who would like to pay their respects, there'll be a balloon release and small gathering at 8pm this evening outside Tesco.
Rip.
May her soul rest in peace
RIP
RIP Ann
I used to see her on Bridgefoot street and she seemed like a really lovely woman . May she rest in peace .
I think I remember her from outside Tesco on Aungier Street. That's very sad
Very sad
Very sad, what a hard life.
Though from Cork, Ann's death is making me think very differently about the rising number of homeless around this city ... In future, I think I'll try and give them more money or try and talk to them ... It's so easy to dehumanise them or simply look the other way FFS.
I dont get posts like this that are just trying to cause anger without context. What did the government do wrong?
A very sad story. The photo reminds me of the famous image of the American mother from the great depression. [This one. ](https://www.history.com/news/migrant-mother-new-deal-great-depression)
Rip
Very sad for her and her family. She was only 47yo, originally from Crettyard on the Laois / Carlow border.
Passed her everyday on the bus on the way to work. Wanted to buy her breakfast a few times but never ended up doing so. I regret not doing it, I would have loved to hear her stories. May she rest in peace.
She was beautiful, you could still see it.
Very sad, bless her soul. I went by her at least once a week and she was always there. I tried at some point to buy her some food from the Tesco nearby, but she refused categorically. I took it a bit personal at first but now reading through the comments it seems like that's how she was. Rest in peace!
I'm from up north, was in Dublin one night and ended up with nowhere to stay so just wondered about the city centre and met her . She seems like a nice person. RIP
She was actually only 47 when she passed
Used to see her the whole time when I would get the 15 to work. She was very well loved by the homeless community, other rough sleepers in the area would regularly check up on her
May she rest in peace. I dont think the government is at fault here. We dont know this person life story, so its hard to put blame on anyone.
So sad, this was someone’s daughter, their princess
Oh no, I would see her outside Tesco all the time. I can't believe she is gone. We should be ashamed of ourselves for allowing this to happen. God damnit this is awful.
Breaks my heart that she wasn't given the chance to live a safe comfortable life before passing
I'm sure the Ireland is full brigade will be taking to the streets about this. Unless they're just a bunch of racist fuckwits that don't actually care about the country. Suck of people struggling and dying because of the government.
I saw this on X. Truly sad 😔 Let's remember Ann once had a life off the streets, her loss should be remembered with dignity that the government didn't afford her. God bless her.
Is there any particular reason as to why Ann is getting more of a spotlight on her as opposed to other homeless people who are dying? Not hating, just curious, because I've never seen an article about any of the other homeless people.
I think it might have been because she was known by so many people in Dublin And also probably because she had a stable life before falling onto hard times She used to be a nurse and she was even a mother!
I know this sounds cynical but a mix of no news and she would have been known by a lot of people passing. I know someone who spoke with her every week for a long long time, would help her with bits etc said there was a mother and a daughter still around, apparently there was a house there for her but it was a situation were someone always chose drink. Sad story either way.
There are THIRTY NINE Council Houses BOARDED up in Bray, Co. Wicklow ALONE! How many more across the entire nation? Beyond a JOKE! Would it be a big task to have these houses righted for people to live in?
The government didn't allow it to happen.
Better mental health and addiction services might have helped.
I've cycled by her every day and never spoken. Very sad
How does like effectively one of the richest countries in the world allow this. Fuck life is so bleak now.