Homeless in Dublin

My Streets Dublin

While I was thinking of what I could do for the day out in Dublin I came across a new walking tour that was been introduced in the city, called My Streets, Ireland. What was different about this tour was that it was done by people who have lived on the streets of the capital, homeless people giving tours and telling their unique stories. So I signed up and on the day I was lucky to get a tour off Eddie who was showing a few of us around the streets of Phibsboro, North Dublin. I also got chatting to Austin Campbell, one of the people behind the exciting new venture.

Phibsboro, is a mixed commercial and residential neighbourhood in North Dublin hugging the The Royal Canal. A typical red-brick terrace area, with the odd Victorian style looking pub and the always busy Doyle’s Corner thoroughfare. Easily reachable by the new Luas Cross City Line network, or if you are mad, one could, of course, walk from O’Connell Street which can take you about 30 minutes or less.

It would be amiss of me not to mention, just about now, my football away days trip to local Phibsboro football club, Bohemians F.C. Read all about it here

I was well impressed with Eddie, a nice young man who has turned his life around and the tour was very informative. This was a tour that didn’t so much concentrate on the sights of the city but more on the personal stories of its people. Eddie talked about his rough upbringing, why he was on the streets, and the ins and outs of life as a homeless person. It was really a great way to spend an hour and I strongly recommend it to anyone who is looking for something a little different in a tour. It certainly brought me into a world I don’t often think about, which was good.

I think what Austin and My Streets Ireland are doing is great, giving homeless people opportunities and also it’s a way of them contributing to the community. I will definitely be back on one of their tours the next time I am in Dublin as Austin mentioned they have plans for a Brendan Behan tour and a tour on Dublin’s street markets (a la Moore street for example), which both sound interesting, on top of the other tours they offer, Eddies one which I took ( ‘Eddie’s Experiences of Homelessness’ ) and a Viking special.

Anyway so here is my quick chat with eddie, Enjoy!

My Streets Ireland: Tours are offered 7 days a week and can be booked by private messaging on the My Streets facebook page, by emailing or by phone.
Tours are charged at a price of €10 per person.

https://www.facebook.com/StreetsTours/