Apollo House: ‘It feels like a very, very sad victory’

As all but one of the Apollo House activists marched out of the building for the last time yesterday morning, the tears being shed were not because of defeat at eviction but for the loss of a place they had finally been able to call home.

“It feels like a very, very sad victory because the amount of emotion and love — love isn’t a word we use often enough in this country — the amount of emotion and love that went into that building in the last few weeks,” said Brendan Ogle, activist and trade union official.

At 11am yesterday, a day after a High Court judge refused the activists an extension to remain in Apollo House, its occupiers vacated the building claiming victory.

From outside #ApolloHouse, Matthew Devereux shares our ask that all residents get safe, secure, clean accommodation suitable to their needs pic.twitter.com/XhC3M7yH3G

— HomeSweetHome (@HSHIreland) January 11, 2017

“It’s a victory to get people into a situation where they’re not wandering the streets, wondering will they have a bed for the night,” said Mr Ogle.

“They’ve got six-month [bed] guarantees as a direct result of this campaign. Of course that’s a victory and it’s a victory for the people of Ireland because the people of Ireland have said, ‘You know this is a threshold of decency we shouldn’t have crossed and we need to do something about it.’

“So it’s a huge victory but, of course, I’d be wrong to say there isn’t some sadness to see people leaving, a community built up there in the last few weeks, and it was beautiful,” said Mr Ogle.

“Have you got a place bud?” one of the residents asked his former neighbour whose eyes were flooded with tears.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m sorted,” he replied, “I’ve held it together this far, I wish I wasn’t crying.”

Musician Glen Hansard and activist Brendan Ogle speaking to the media outside Apollo House.

Glen Hansard, who has been part of the Home Sweet Home campaign from the start, was also overcome with emotion.

“There’s a lot of emotion here, there really is and it’s been an incredible thing to be a part of,” said the singer.

“It is the most powerful thing I have ever been involved in, of course.”

Hansard said first-hand experience as a child fuelled his commitment to the campaign and to any cynic questioning the participation of well-known faces in the campaign, he said it was “personal”.

“I had some awareness about the shelters and some first-hand experience in the shelters when I was a kid. I’ve learned more about homelessness in the last three weeks than I ever thought I could imagine knowing and it’s been an incredible education and humbling to be a part of this.

“It was personal, and to those people (cynics and sceptics), I can look them in the eye and say, ‘I know why I’m doing it, I know why I’m here’. That’s it, that’s all I can say.”

Supportive mood outside #ApolloHouse as people break into song #HomeSweetHome pic.twitter.com/D7VCPUTJxG

— HomeSweetHome (@HSHIreland) January 11, 2017

Mr Ogle commended the 4,000 volunteers who came out from behind their “keyboards”.

“I want to personally pay tribute to all of the volunteers who put down their keyboards and went in there and looked after people and gave people who have been living on the streets one of the best and most joyful Christmases they’ve had in many years. They’re heroes in a country in dire need of heroes,” he said.

Some of the homeless people who were seeking shelter in Apollo House leave by taxi for their new accomodation.

After 28 days of occupation, the activists vacated Apollo House chanting what they’ve always chanted: “What do we want? Homes for the homeless. When do we want it? Now.”