Getting our priorities right in face of homeless

While taking shelter from the rain outside Bank Of Ireland, College Green, Dublin, today at 11am, I noticed a homeless man sleeping in a doorway.

He had burrowed down into his sleeping bag to try and deafen the silence of a pneumatic drill that I was working only a couple of metres away.

Some passerby had left a sandwich wrapped in cling film and a banana by his sleeping bag.

However, apart from the actions of some good Samaritan, the passing world seemed to be oblivious to his presence.

I guess we all have our own troubles to worry about — a cancelled concert, a wet holiday or some other catastrophic impending disaster, but for him it was simpler — just staying alive.

Later, I couldn’t help but reflect with some irony that the incident had so much symbolism coming as it did outside one of the institutions that had pauperised this country.

JJ Hurley

Belgooly

Co Cork