Fatal assault of homeless man in Cork: ‘More will die on our streets’, charity worker says
More homeless people will die unless the Government increases its efforts to tackle the crisis, a frontline charity worker has warned.
Catriona Twomey of Cork Penny Dinners issued the warning as gardaí appealed for witnesses to the
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Mr Hourihane, who was in his 50s, was found beaten and unconscious at around 12.45am on Sunday, near his burnt-out tent where he had been living on Mardyke Walk.
He was rushed to Cork University Hospital, where he later died.
Mr Hourihane, a trained chef, had previously
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Ms Twomey yesterday visited the cordoned-off scene, where a number of homeless people have established a makeshift settlement of tents.
“This is a warning to our Government to sort out the homeless crisis, and we need to sort it now,” said Ms Twomey. “We need more housing, we need more treatment centres, and we need more support services.
“What I would say to the Government is; this is a warning to the Government to solve the homeless crisis, to solve it now, we need it done now. People are dying, people are being hurt, and it’s not just housing that we need.
We need the treatment centres, we need the support services, we need more gardaí, more resources for gardaí, for our ambulance crews, for our hospitals, to deal with the crisis that we have here.
“It’s so sad that this is happening, and will probably happen again if measures aren’t taken by the Government to solve the crisis.”.
Superintendent Mick Comyns, of Anglesea Street Garda Station, said that gardaí have yet to establish a motive for the attack.
Supt Comyns said Mr Hourihane bore no injuries consistent with being in a fire.
“For operational reasons we’re not going to release details of the injuries, but he does have injuries consistent with being assaulted,” he said.
Gardaí are investigating reports of a disturbance in the area prior to the assault.
“We do believe there was some shouting during the evening, maybe not at the particular time that the actual incident occurred, but we do believe there was shouting during the evening so we’re appealing for anyone at all who has any information that may help us,” said Supt Comyns.
The area, just metres from Western Road and UCC, has a number of guest houses and gardaí are hoping that weekend visitors from outside the city may be able to assist them with their enquiries.
“They may have seen something that would be significant to us that maybe didn’t look significant to them,” said Supt Comyns.
There may have been people staying in guest houses from outside of Cork City who would have checked out Sunday morning.
“They are people who may be coming home from a social night out at that time on the night. So we’re asking anyone, maybe who was visiting Cork City as well, to contact us,”
Gardaí are appealing for anyone who was in the Mardyke Walk area between 12am and 1am on Sunday who may have witnessed any activity in the area to contact them.
They are also asking any motorists who may have passed through Mardyke Walk around these times and who has dashcam footage to contact Anglesea Street Garda Station on 021 452 2000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.
