Gareth O'Callaghan: The voices you didn’t hear during the protests are the ones that matter most

Personal stories reveal the emotional and financial toll of illness, inequality and rising costs beyond headline-grabbing protests

Protesters listen to speeches on O’Connell Street in Dublin on the sixth day of fuel protests last Saturday. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

The man sitting opposite me on the Dublin train said: “I’m running out of courage to exist.”

His name was Tom. All of the main arteries into the city were clogged with trucks and tractors. The train was the only reliable way to travel.