'It's hard to couch surf when you are 59': Cork man left homeless after accident

Sarah Horgan talks to former actor and artist, Emmet Kelleher, on the hopelessness that comes with being homeless

Emmet Kelleher in Iveagh Gardens, Dublin. 'This is supposed to be a republic but they are not treating their people equally.' Photo: Gareth Chaney

To the outside world, Emmet Kelleher might look like any other city dweller, enjoying the sights and sounds of St Stephen’s Green bathed in some winter sunshine.

However, behind the Cork man’s neat dress and thoughtful expression lies a painful reality. The former actor and artist has been homeless for two-and-a-half years now, following the breakdown of his marriage.

Emmet had been his wife’s full-time carer for around 13 years before their relationship ended. He has been on the housing list for 14 years but harbours little hope of ever securing a permanent roof over his head. 

He had little option but to couch surf up until March of last year, but then things came to a head after the 59-year-old lost his footing on the stairs of a double decker bus. He had to undergo surgery at St James’s Hospital as his kneecap had split open, but it was then that doctors diagnosed the 59-year-old with cirrhosis of the liver. 

Emmet’s ill health meant he no longer had the energy left to couch surf, leaving him at the mercy of homeless services.

When I had to leave hospital in Dublin they basically didn’t know what to do with me. I had bust my leg up and had liver problems. 

"They couldn’t throw me out on the street with a heavy disease like that so they put me in a hostel and I’ve been there ever since.” 

Emmet said he is extremely grateful to the hostel staff for the kindness they have shown him, but says the stigma of homelessness often weighs heavily on him.

“I’m writing a historical novel at the moment. This is how I normally spend my days when I’m out. Just two days ago I was sitting down near some people writing when I overheard them taking the mick out of homeless people. 

"It wasn’t intentional but they were practically sitting next to me so I heard everything. It was so insulting that I was tempted to approach these people to give them a piece of my mind. However, I knew it wouldn’t do any good.” 

The most recent figures show a record total of 15,199 homeless people. Advocacy groups say more than 55,000 new homes, including 15,000 social homes, are needed each year to address the crisis.

Emmet Kelleher has been homeless for two-and-a-half years now, following the breakdown of his marriage. Photo: Gareth Chaney

Like so many other people, Emmet is frustrated by the outgoing government’s handling of the homeless crisis.

“The condition I have is end-stage cirrhosis. This doesn’t mean I’m going to die tomorrow but at the same time this is a life-threatening illness. 

"This is supposed to be a republic but they are not treating their people equally. I have a key worker who I speak to every few weeks about trying to find a place. I am prepared to pay bills like anyone else but there is nothing out there. My doctor described it as a transitory life. 

You have no independence. The hostel I’m in is far from a kip. The people there are amazing and have been very good to me, but having a roof over your head doesn’t solve the problem. You need to have a place of your own.

Director of Advocacy at Focus Ireland, Mike Allen, said that more needs to be done to help people who are being discharged from hospital and are at risk of becoming homeless.

“Hospitals and HSE facilities should be identifying people who are at risk of homelessness on discharge and they do that,” Mr Allen said. “It isn't that everybody is ignoring this, it’s just that the answers aren't good enough. 

"Quite often in psychiatric hospitals in particular, people are not being discharged and are instead being left in beds. Even when patients can be discharged they have nowhere else to go. 

"The institutions need to identify people who are at risk of homelessness on discharge and then they need to have an interaction with the housing system. That’s the bit that’s missing because there are just not enough houses. The only way staff can respond is by delaying the discharge or speaking to a homeless organisation. 

"What we really need is a better system to move people into housing. It must be very frustrating for a lot of the health workers who care about this and track it. After tracking it and identifying the person who's at risk they haven't got any mechanisms to deal with that risk.” 

Emmet has been on the housing waiting list for 14 years, but says, as a single man, he has little chance of securing a home because of the shortage of accommodation options. Mike Allen agrees.

“What a single person needs is, by and large, a one-bedroom apartment. However, neither the private sector or local authorities are really offering these. Physically, there's a housing shortage for everybody, but if you're a single person looking for a one-bedroom apartment, it's significantly more of a problem."

Emmet Kelleher says the stigma of homelessness often weighs heavily on him. Photo: Gareth Chaney

Emmet says while his key worker is pushing to have him prioritised, given his ill health, it doesn't seem to be making any impact.

"Nobody seems to be listening. It’s like you don’t matter or at least that’s how it feels. Meanwhile, your confidence is going down weekly, maybe daily.

"It's the normal things you miss the most. I was in Blanchardstown recently visiting a friend. He offered me a cup of tea. I couldn’t believe I was in a real home. It’s been that long since I have had a home of my own.”