Life as a rough sleeper: 'We always hope something good will come along but nothing has'

Mairead Craughwell and Dwayne Cunnigham at their tents beside Charlestown Shopping Centre, Dublin. Pictures: Gareth Chaney

“For me it’s just a horrible circle, there is no light at the end of the tunnel."

Mairead Craughwell 40, from Athy, Co Kildare, has been living in a tent on the side of the road in Charlestown, west Dublin, with her partner Dwayne Cunningham, 36, from Newry, for the past year. They spoke to the Irish Examiner about what life is like for a rough sleeper, and the challenges  they face.