Brendan Courtney shines a light on homelessness, home care and his future in radio
Brendan Courtney launching the 2023 Shine a Light sleep out in aid of Focus Ireland and supported by Bord Gáis Energy. Picture Andres Poveda
Brendan Courtney's name has been on a lot of people's lips recently as people speculate about who will take over a certain RTÉ radio slot.
But the man himself is paying no mind to the gossip as his current focus is on this year's Shine a Light event.
Courtney is proud to be an ambassador for Focus Ireland's sleep out fundraiser this year as it is a cause which he has supported all his life.
"Focus Ireland has been part of my life, from the Christmas choir events and fundraisers so I'm thrilled to be part of Shine a Light," he said at the launch of the event which is supported by Bord Gáis Energy.
Homelessness is something Courtney has been aware of his whole life while living in Dublin. He recalls his schooldays seeing the students in Belvedere College doing their annual sleep out and being inspired by it.
The TV presenter believes it is important for children to be educated about homelessness especially as it is so prevalent in society with 1,839 families including children in emergency accommodation as of July 2023.
That is why he will be taking part in the Shine a Light fundraiser on Friday, October 13 with his niece and nephew.
They will be pitching a tent on the roof of Courtney's building and while they enjoy some fun family time with treats and spooky stories, they will also talk about homelessness.
"What it does is it actually educates children. They hear about homelessness but they will actually get a sense of, 'ok, imagine that this is your life'," he says.
Courtney says his 14-year-old niece was shocked when he said that there were children her age that are sleeping rough in Ireland.
He emphasised the importance of education and awareness for adults as well as children.
"We are sick of hearing about the housing crisis. We are sick of nothing being done," he says.
"Unless you have initiatives that inspire people like this, there is an apathy that grows."
As an ambassador, he will be documenting his sleep out experience on his social media channels as will other well-known people such as broadcaster Louise McSharry, Tipperary hurler Brendan Maher and lifestyle influencer Caroline Mooney.
To date, the Shine a Light campaign has supported over 7,000 families and directly prevented 458 vulnerable families from becoming homeless. This year, Focus Ireland are hoping to raise €1.2 million to support their work.
"There are thousands of families across Ireland, including children who are homeless or at risk of losing their homes and we need to come together and help combat this issue," Courtney says.
Over the years, the Keys to My Life host has used his platform to advocate for others.
Most notable was his 2017 documentary, We Need to Talk About Dad, which showed the Courtney family dealing with the challenges of finding homecare for his father.
One of the topics addressed was the lack of options for State-subsidised home care.
Six years on and the family are facing similar issues with his mother, Nuala, who broke her hip in December 2021.
Since the documentary aired, Courtney has been advocating for a scheme equivalent to the Fair Deal, which covers funding for nursing homes, to be established for homecare.
He told the Examiner that he was promised by the Dáil and the then-minister for health Simon Harris that the homecare scheme was being piloted that year.
“I was asking about Fair Deal for homecare, I was asking about it, they said it’s coming along. It wasn’t coming along, nothing was done” he said following his mother's hospitalisation.
Speaking at the Shine a Light launch, he says he is still pushing for Fair Deal for home care.
Although he would like to be able to bring his mother home, her geriatric team has said that it would be best for her to move to a nursing home.
The family have agreed that while it is a heartbreaking decision, it is for the best.
He credited the staff at Cappagh Hospital for the care they have given Nuala during her time there.
"She's in great form. She is happy and content and relaxed. So, once she's happy and content and relaxed, we are happy, content and relaxed," he says.
Despite the prolonged hospital stay, Nuala remains glam as ever with her son coming in frequently to do her hair for her.
"The other people in the ward think I'm her hairdresser and they're always asking me 'any appointments?'," he laughs.
It has been a tough time for the family but they are looking for the positives where they can find them.
In terms of his career, Courtney revealed that his brand Lennon Courtney, which he co-founded with fellow designer and tv personality Sonya Lennon, will be available to shop in November.
The duo had announced in February that Lennon Courtney's brand partnership with Dunnes Stores had come to an end.
But recently they announced the return saying it is "not just clothing but a launch of a brand new Lennon Courtney world".
As for that vacancy at RTÉ Radio 1? Courtney says that his contract has not changed and he has not had any conversations about taking over Ryan Tubridy's former slot.
He has been filling in on the 9am show along with Oliver Callan as a permanent replacement is sought.
He said that he honestly does not know if he would accept the job if it was offered to him permanently.
For the moment, he is enjoying hosting the show but doesn't think about what-ifs and maybes when it comes to work.
"Unless somebody rings me and says 'do you want to talk about this?' and nobody has rung me and said 'do you want to talk about this?'
"But I don't believe anyone has been called. Yet."
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