Homeless given a taste of home
this Christmas
 By Trevor
O’sullivan
A Good Samaritan is getting into the spirit of giving this Christmas
by organising a party for the Irish homeless in London.
Paul Murphy from Drogheda is doing the good deed as part of a new campaign
he has set up to help make a difference in his community.
The London Irish Centre in Camden is hosting the party on December 11
and will welcome Irish homeless people from a number of shelters across
London.
The catalyst for the project came after 31-year-old Paul encountered an
elderly Irishman sleeping rough late one night in London.
He said: “That encounter was the initial genesis. Nobody should
have to stay on the streets in this day and age.
“It dawned on me that night that charity begins at home.
“There are all these people you walk by on the street and you don’t
know who they are or what their circumstances are.
“You just kind of de-sensitise to try and ignore it. But I didn’t
want to ignore it any longer.”
Paul eventually came up with the idea of a traditional Irish Christmas
Party for the homeless.
The Irishman is hoping some hot Irish food, traditional music, a ceilidh
and some song and dance will bring some Christmas cheer to those who need
it most.
He said: “Basically what I want is a sense of home with people eating,
laughing, singing and dancing. If you have ever been in a pub in Ireland
that’s exactly how it goes.
“I want to provide a cosy Irish environment so maybe these guys
who are isolated and vulnerable can feel part of something again.
“They exist in this limbo of not really knowing where they belong.
It’s not Britain but the Ireland that they left back in the ’60s
doesn’t exist anymore. This lost community need our help.”
Thanks to the support of various Irish organisations in London Paul hopes
to help 250 homeless Irish people have a Christmas they will never forget.
He said: “I want this to be the first in a series of all-inclusive
events. A lot of different shelters have their own Christmas events and
I’d like every year for it to be an opportunity for people from
different shelters to meet up.
“I want it to encapsulate the whole Irish homeless community and
eventually incorporate it into the settled community.
“With that we’ll hopefully break down barriers and find out
how we can all essentially live together and make a difference in each
others’ lives.”
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