Man living in hut to ‘tough it out’ despite offer of rent-free house

A MAN living in a self-made hut on a tiny isolated island vowed last night to stay there despite being offered a rent-free house.

Eddie Ahern, 57, who is living with his son, Andrew, in the hut on Rat’s Island, near Fota, Co Cork, said: “I’ll tough it out until the council comes back to me. I’m more concerned for my son that he’ll get a decent sleep and a bath. I’ll tough it out for a while.”

Mr Leahy, who is originally from Carrigtwohill in east Cork, has been on the county council’s housing waiting list for several years.