A ride on the Luas Cross City with Joe & Terry

(Above: Joe Dowling who is a Community worker with HOPE in Dublin’s north inner city, pictured travelling on the new LUAS Cross City Line. Photo: Frank Mc Grath, Irish Independent, Online, Saturday 2nd December, 2017)

Last Monday, 27th November 2017, Joe Dowling & Terry Fagan were guests of the Luas and some of the first members of the public to make the journey along the forthcoming Luas Cross City. Joined by members of the press, Joe & Terry shared their thoughts on the latest addition to the city’s transport infrastructure. Their discussion was broadcast on the Sean O’Rourke show on RTÉ Radio 1, yesterday, Monday 4th December 2017.

Terry highlights the need for more public transport infrastructure and refers to other well connected European cities before we’re reminded of how well connected Dublin was in the years of Joe & Terry’s youth. Joe goes on to discuss the positivity of a well connected city and how this is an opportunity for the north inner city with prospects of shoppers, tourists, new buiness and new jobs being brought to more corners of Dublin’s north inner city.

Irish Independent, in-print, Saturday 2nd December 2017.
The Herald, in-print, Saturday 2nd December 2017.

“Joe & Terry were one of the first members of the public to take a ride on the Luas Cross City.”

From Joe & Terry take a ride on the Luas Cross City. Posted by HOPE Hands On Peer Education on 12/05/2017 (3 items)

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About

Hands on Peer Education, is a front-line service in Dublin’s north inner city, where those suffering with addiction and their families can get access to much needed support and treatment options. H.O.P.E. facilitates and advocates for recovery through abstinence. We also offer a wide range of advocacy services. H.O.P.E.’s free and confidential drop-in clinic is open from 10am ‘til 1pm, Monday to Friday.

Now That You’re Here

We love to get feedback, it helps us improve our service to the community. If you have a minute, we would greatly appreciate it if you write a few words about our service. Follow the link below to see our reviews on Google. Click ‘write review’ on the right hand side to add your own.

https://goo.gl/BgznUi

Many thanks from the team in H.O.P.E.

“Resurrecting Dublin’s north inner city” The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk, Friday 3rd February 2017

Resurrecting Dublin’s north inner city

The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk, Friday, 3rd February, 2017

Continuing on the topic of the north inner city, The Pat Kenny show explores the real life story of living in Dublin 1 today.

Highlights:

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Listen to the full show here

“Does Kieran Mulvey have the answers to street dealing?” The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk, Thursday 2nd February 2017

Does Kieran Mulvey have the answers to street dealing?

The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk, Thursday, 2nd February, 2017

Last week, the Pat Kenny show on Newstalk returned to the subject of social inequality and drug fuelled gang warfare in Dublin’s north east inner city. H.O.P.E. manager, Irene Crawley, had her say on the topic of street dealing and the overall situation suffered by the north east inner city.

Highlights:

Full show – click here

Season’s greetings from everyone in HOPE

As the main event of this festive season draws nearer, we would like to take a moment to wish all of our clients, partners, sister organisations, family and friends a very merry Christmas and a very happy and prosperous new year. In 2016 there were a lot of people and organisations that have helped us help the communities of Dublin’s north inner city and for that, we would like to say thank you. In the year that marks the centenary of the Easter Rebellion of 1916, this is but one of the many events that will enshrine 2016 in all of our memories.

Dublin’s north inner city played host to numerous commemoration ceremonies on the run up to the centenary commemoration. Various community and state groups held many ceremonies in honour of those fought for the Irish Free State. With the local centenary celebrations underscored by the community deprivation and gangland feud killings, there was a scramble for change. Four of the local parishes came together in May and marched on the Home Monument for peace in the community. Government representatives met with community representatives in St. Laurence O’Toole national school to get an idea of issues facing the area. After the announcement of the community-based, government-led task force, the community came together to help each other in identifying issues and providing possible solutions to the new task force.   An Taoiseach Enda Kenny & Minister for Public Expenditure Pascal Donohoe paid a visit to some of the smaller projects in the area. On a wet rainy day in August, there was a community day. Thanks to support from Croke Park, An Garda Síochana, Dublin City Council, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, the Crinan Youth Project and The Fire Station Artist Studio and Urban Soul the NIC saw its first free – hopefully annual – community day. After consulting the public on the forthcoming national drugs strategy, Minister Byrne, tasked with delivering the new national drug strategy, paid a visit to a number of local projects to get a first-hand view of the issues faced by projects around the country.

As the year draws to a close, the weather gets colder and the need for compassion grows. With that in mind there a few special thanks we would like to make. Special thanks to Danny Cummins and his friends for their efforts for fundraising and collecting clothes for the homeless on the streets of Dublin. And to the Lotto and the Luas for supporting us with our client dinner. As well we would like to express special thanks to our friends in the Ripley Court Hotel for their endless efforts to support us support the community.

Lastly, we would like to say thank you to everyone for helping HOPE help the community. Without all of your help, we would not be able to do the job we do. ‘Ní neart go cur le cheile – there is no strength without unity’.

Merry Christmas from Everyone in H.O.P.E.

 

a little help goes a long way….

HOPE was presented with a very generous donation by Danny J Cummins. The money was raised by a two-day shoe box appeal, bucket collections, and a sleep out on the street on a cold rainy night. All of the funds will go directly to help our clients in need this Christmas. We have also received from Danny and his friend’s, lots of toys and clothes, which will be put to good use.

Joe, Irene & Danny
Joe, Irene & Danny
Joe, community members and Danny
Joe, community members and Danny

photo-from-_

Deprivation of Dublin’s inner city

The prevalence of prescription drug-dealing and the severe lack of drug-free recovery centres in Dublin’s north inner city are some of the challenges facing the area, according to its community leaders.

“We held a community brainstorming session to inform the government taskforce that’s being set up to address the issues of deprivation in the north inner city,” addiction counsellor at Hope, Irene Crawley, told the Irish Examiner.

The session followed a visit by Taoiseach Enda Kenny to the area last week, where he promised that a taskforce for the north inner city would be established.

About 100 leaders including TDs, councillors, activists and volunteers, came together yesterday to discuss matters such as policing, housing, and addiction and recovery.

Long-time community activist and former Labour minister Joe Costello said there was one issue above all that plagued the north inner city.

“Mountjoy Prison is the biggest drug treatment facility in the country and there is no link-up when a prisoner comes out. It’s a nightmare,” he said.

“This is the issue that deserves the most immediate attention. There is a probation service there but there is nothing that connects the prison with clinics, services and local authorities.

“It’s all fragmented, there is no co-ordination.”

CONTINUE READING ON THE IRISH EXAMINER’S WEBSITE…

IRISH EXAMINER 9/6/16 – Calls to solve issue of housing for drug addicts

The Irish Examiner’s Cormac O’Keeffe reports – Many recovering drug addicts relapse as they cannot access appropriate housing, a leading treatment service has said.

Coolmine, established in 1973, urged the Government to develop an “inter-agency approach” to housing to deal with the problem.

Chairman Alan Connolly said while 85% of its clients remain drug-free two years on, not everyone did.

“Many of those who relapse tend to be those who cannot find appropriate housing and end up either returning to a drug-addiction environment or to a difficult family situation or living rough,” he said.

Mr Connolly urged housing minister Simon Coveney to take into consideration the needs of those who successfully tackle their addictions when addressing housing problems.

Speaking at the launch of Coolmine’s 2015 annual report, he called on the minister to strongly consider an interagency approach to ensure long-term sustainability.

Continue reading on the Irish Examiner Website….

NICCC Submission to Kieran Mulvey

After all the hard work of the North Inner City Community Coalition over the last few months, the eight working groups have completed their proposed lists of issues and resolutions. Now, the submission to Kieran Mulvey, who has been tasked with the job of reporting the situation back to an Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, has been compiled. The document has been signed off on by the community and has been submitted to Kieran Mulvey. The community’s move in this process of community engagement has been made. The next move is in the hands of the State.

[Full Document]

This is just the beginning…

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After a number of months of deliberations, the eight working groups of the north inner city community coalition came together to present their draft proposals for Kieran Mulvey, who is due to report the situation in the North Inner city to an Taoiseach, Enda Kenny. This event comes after a number of community brainstorming sessions devised to bring together the various organisations of the North Inner City’s vast communities.

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The energy that has brought all these community groups together, came out of what was a growing number of criminal fatalities. The Government stepped in to not only quash the gangland activities suffered by the communities of the north inner city but to question their roots and provide preventative measures to the communities who have seen little of the growth celebrated nationally from the most recent economic crash.

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“THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING”

…is the message of reassurance from the NICCC convenors. The convenors confidently assured the larger group that this is the first step in community-state engagement.

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Local historian and archivist – Terry Fagan – seeking home for collection of local artefacts and memorabilia.

Our Terry Fagan – local historian and archivist – featured in an Irish Times article detailing his vast catalogue of historical memorabilia. Follow the link to the Irish Times site to read the full article.

Link to Irish Times Article 9th October 2016

Terry Fagan of the North Inner City Folklore Project with some of the items stored in a boarded up flat in Sean McDermott Street. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien
Terry Fagan of the North Inner City Folklore Project with some of the items stored in a boarded up flat in Sean McDermott Street. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien.
Behind the ugly, graffiti-festooned steel door to an abandoned flat in St Mary’s Mansions on Dublin’s Seán McDermott Street, there is an Aladdin’s Cave of artefacts and memorabilia.

The items that have been saved from tenement homes and from skips, or been donated by residents, and the stories they have told local folklorist Terry Fagan, amounts to a unique social history archive that is crying out for a proper home in the area.

“It needs to stay here,” says Fagan, a 66-year-old north inner city Dub, born in the long since demolished Corporation Buildings on the street of the same name, and now a resident of Buckingham Street.

Continue reading…