Niece of homeless woman who died on street calls for action

The niece of a homeless woman who died on the streets of Cork last week has urged the Government to address the homelessness crisis as a matter of urgency saying her “funny and caring” aunt should not have lost her life for the want of a bed for the night.

Nikita O’Sullivan from the Glen in Cork has set up a Go Fund Me Page in order to raise funds to erect a headstone in memory of her aunt, Kathleen O’Sullivan, 43, who was found dead outside the homeless shelter on Anderson’s Quay in the city at about 11am last Wednesday.

Ms O’Sullivan has issued a plea to the relevant authorities to address the crisis.

“There should be a big thing happening about it. People should just get together and stop it. There can’t be people on the streets anymore especially in the cold. To think of Kathleen dying there and then another person dying there would be sickening. We are trying to raise money for Kathleen’s funeral costs and her gravestone. We don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

Nikita O’Sullivan, with Katie Hanlon, lays a wreath in commemoration at the spot where her aunt died. Picture: Provision

Nikita said mother-of-two Kathleen had a big personality and a great sense of humour.

“She was very funny. I couldn’t have a bad word to say about her. She was the nicest person you would ever meet. She has been homeless for a good couple of years. Kathleen also lost her aunt Helen on the streets (as she died homeless). It is crazy. I don’t think it has hit me yet.

“Kathleen was a comical person. She was a joker. She was always cracking jokes. She always watched out for other people. She lost her son, her mother and her dad and two of her brothers and had a hard life. I haven’t even had time to think. I am just keeping going.”

Since the death of her aunt, Nikita has gone out on the streets herself with the Helping Cork’s Homeless charity in order to assist those in need.

“It helped me to go around. It puts your mind at ease to know you are helping another family to not go [through] what we went through. We don’t want anyone else to go through what we did.”

Kathleen O’Sullivan died sleeping rough in Cork. Her niece Nikita, right pictured with Christina Chalmers of ‘Helping Cork’s Homeless’ Picture: Michael MacSweeney

A vigil in memory of Kathleen O’Sullivan took place yesterday outside Brown Thomas in Cork. People were asked to wear a pink item of clothing as it was Kathleen’s favourite colour.

Ms O’Sullivan was laid to rest last Saturday. She is survived by her son Edmund and four of her siblings. She was predeceased by her son Anthony.

Contributions can be made to the Kathleen O’Sullivan Go Fund me Page gofundme.com/kathleen- o-sullivan-head-stone