This Is No Picnic

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The 31st annual Belvedere College Sleep Out at the Bank of Ireland, College Green, Dublin this morning 

Last night.

A traditional sleep out for the homeless by warm-hearted ‘Belvo’ pupils.

The very essence of noblesse oblige.

Or something more jesuitical.

…And yet, for me, passing those students at the Bank of Ireland this morning, something about the scenario made me uncomfortable. In a city where homelessness has become a crisis, is it really appropriate for students at a fee-paying school to express their solidarity by sleeping out on thick rubber mattresses, with plenty of warm sleeping bags and clothing? The students texting away on their phones, surrounded by plastic boxes of Roses and Celebrations, looked more like they were between gigs at Electric Picnic. In fact, Kodaline appeared yesterday at the GPO to perform for them.

This is not what actual homeless people look like, nor how homeless people live. Also, I’ve seen real homeless people sleeping both outside the Bank of Ireland and outside the GPO; people now ironically displaced by those raising money for them.

Nobody could disagree with the fact that the three charities [Peter McVerry Trust, Focus Ireland and Home Again] the Belvedere Sleepout support are worthy recipients. But what was appropriate 31 years ago as a charity endeavour is surely now outdated. It has become distasteful. In a city where so many are homeless, it looks plain wrong to see what amounts to people simulating being homeless on our capital’s main streets. Perhaps 2015 is the year Belvedere College needs to rethink how it does its annual fund-raiser for the homeless.

Is a school sleepout best way to raise awareness of homelessness? (Rosita Boland, Irish Times)

Judith Goldberger writes:

Jesus is that churlish stuff in the Irish Times. A newspaper that can be safe in the knowledge that their major contribution to alleviation of the plight of the homeless is to help keep them warm at night [using discarded copies].

Oh.

Pic via Vinnie Quinn

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72 thoughts on “This Is No Picnic

  1. Joe

    I remember the year Una Mullaly did it… Live tweeting the whole thing, how hard it was etc.. But luckily her friends all brought her food and hot drinks.

    1. Odockatee

      Leave Una alone, if you spent even a quarter of your time being as upset on people’s behalf as she does you’d see how exhausting it is

          1. Clive Northwood

            I appreciate that Una Mullally generally means well. Arguably, she is trying to make society a better place through her writing. But she targets far, far too many, on a regular basis, who aren’t damagind society at all. Most notably, MEN. In an article she wrote about rape culture last year, she asked men to “stop hanging their cloak of (aggression?) over our streets.” I am a man. When I walk down a street at night and a woman is walking a head of me, I am always paranoid that my presence might make her feel threatened, and I do my best to avoid that. I’m hyper-aware of it. So to be told I’m part of the problem really pisses me off.

            The article blamed all men for rape culture, not just some. In the same piece she insisted that all of us, not just men, are friends with another man who has solicited sex from a prostitute. I, happily, am not friend with anyone like that, and it it turned out I was, my friendship with that person would probably deteriorate pretty swiftly due to obvious differences. Una, seemingly, hangs out with too many pricks. They’re are good men, but she doesn’t seem to know too many of them.

          2. Don Pidgeoni

            Did she mean ‘men’ or all men? There is a difference. And if people are really that mad with her, how about writing a piece in response to hers, as you have, rather than just moaning about her on BS?

          3. Don Pidgeoni

            Also, in trying to find that piece you mention she wrote a whole column about men as victims of violence *shock horror*

          4. deliverancecountry

            Oh won’t someone think of de menz?
            Only last year someone something something.
            WHY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

            Newsflash cliven smallwood
            It’s udder menz who make you so miserable

          5. Anne

            My heart goes out to you Clive.
            Just to give you an example of the evening I had last night.. had a few friends over, threw on a few nibbles for them, headed into town late, wasn’t pushed to go out – again, but went out in the end..so was dressed casually in jeans.
            First pub we arrive into, guy comes up to two of us and puts his arms around our shoulders. Pissed drunk. No harm, pushed him away.
            A few minutes later, he then proceeds to whack me from behind on the ar*e, as hard as he could. Talked to the barman. Got him thrown out. It was either that, or beat him to a pulp. He was lucky.
            I was a tad annoyed, because my backside was stinging me, to which I received a few comments – from men – telling me to cheer up, to smile it doesn’t cost anything.

            We went to Nancy’s next – very crowded, at one point, I’m surrounded by about 5 guys as we’re making our way through, as there’s at least 3 of them pinching my ass. I let out a yell to stop. And they continue to do it, until I can get passed them.
            On leaving Nancy’s one guy keeps shouting at me, are my jeans new… and saying to his friends, lad watch the ass on that.
            A little while later, one of my friends wants to go back for drinks to another friend’s house, and is trying to set me up with her boyfriend’s friend, who keeps putting his arms around me. I keep pushing his arms away, and he doesn’t get the hint.
            Jump in a taxi on my own, to which another guy in the group tries to get in, asked the taxi driver to tell him to get out.
            I know it’s messy this time of year, but being felt up is something I’ve had to deal with a bit, not to mind guys who won’t go away, when you’re not interested.
            I’m polite and that, but I’ve had guys standing behind me in my ear, saying ‘you think you’re too good for me, don’t you, don’t you’, when I’m not responding how they want. It can get a tad annoying. I’m 5ft 10′, it doesn’t stop pissed 5ft Nothing weasels, batin’ hard with the ugly stick jumping up and down into my ear, annoying me. Which I don’t mind, but don’t fupping touch me, unless I want you to. It’s very simple really. Hands off cretins. Rant over. :)

  2. Artemis

    “This is not what actual homeless people look like, nor how homeless people live”

    Well. yeah because they’re not homeless.. What do you want them to do, knock out a few teeth and don’t wash for 6 months for the occasion?

  3. Irene

    In other news – a bright and warm idea by one Dublin man (Barry O’Flanagan) came to fruition today when 2,000 foam mats were delivered to homeless charities or put on their way to them in Dublin, Cork and Galway. A simple idea which grew legs on Facebook and led to mats and foil blankets being paid for by generous Irish people. (The blankets are on the way).

  4. Titty O Toole McPenis

    Crowd of lads try to help out and fund raise… Get given out to for doing so. Only in Ireland.

  5. Vinnie Quinn

    Is it an appropriate way to raise awareness? Maybe not for the general public, we are all aware of the problem of homelessness in Dublin.
    Is it an effective way to raise over €100K every year? Yes
    The 70 privileged boys who are sleeping out for 48 hours and fasting for 24 are raising their own awareness. It’s likely few if any of them will experience life on the streets all going well. What they experience on the Sleepout is a glimpse of homelessness. Last night they heard from the homeless about how they got there, how they hope to get out, stories of kindness, despair, anger, tragedy, and some threats of violence that real homeless people face every night. For the rest of their lives they’ll have a little more compassion and understanding for the people they meet on the streets.
    48 hours sober on O’Connell St is also a great lesson in what people look like when they’re acting the bollox drunk on O’Connell St.
    Rosita Boland can rest assured that the money raised making her uncomfortable will be well used making grateful souls comfortable. .
    I’m writing in an unofficial capacity, I slept out in 1995 and kept some lessons. Excuse the emotion, we were up all night.

    1. Steve

      Fair play Vinnie, I didn’t go to Belvedere but some great words there. I especially liked ” For the rest of their lives they’ll have a little more compassion and understanding for the people they meet on the streets”.

      happy christmas

    2. Roisin

      Saw some of the boys on Monday sitting down beside a homeless man and having a good chat with him. It really did impress on me that these young lads were learning something about the world. Can’t think of anything to add to your post, I think the Times article is really extreme.

      These boys being in Belvedere is also an accident of birth.

  6. Niallo

    So whats the deal here ? The students sleep on the street allowing the homeless to use their beds for the night ? No ?
    Not much benefit in that then.

    1. Will-IAmNot

      Especially when they lie down on the road
      I’d say even an average marksman could take out about 50 of them with a couple of rounds.

  7. Vinnie Quinn

    Is it an appropriate way to raise awareness? Maybe not for the general public, we are all aware of the problem of homelessness in Dublin.
    Is it an effective way to raise over €100K every year? Yes
    The 70 privileged boys who are sleeping out for 48 hours and fasting for 24 are raising their own awareness. It’s likely few if any of them will experience life on the streets all going well. What they experience on the Sleepout is a glimpse of homelessness. Last night they heard from the homeless about how they got there, how they hope to get out, stories of kindness, despair, anger, tragedy, and some threats of violence that real homeless people face every night. For the rest of their lives they’ll have a little more compassion and understanding for the people they meet on the streets.
    48 hours sober on O’Connell St is also a great lesson in what people look like when they’re acting the bollox drunk on O’Connell St.
    Rosita Boland can rest assured that the money raised making her uncomfortable will be well used making grateful souls comfortable. .
    I’m writing in an unofficial capacity, I slept out in 1995 and kept some lessons. Excuse the emotion, we were up all night.

  8. retroboy

    Bunch of posh-people trying to improve their image.

    (Before they join FG/FF and propose policies that will kill the people that they are “allegedly” supporting.)

    c.//

  9. Laura Tully

    Ryanair, sweet Ryanair, you’re a beautiful sight, you’re taking me home to my family tonight

    Nothing about you can dampen my mood,
    Not your warm Pinot Grigio nor your overpriced food

    As your eagle eyed staff eye up my case
    I fight the urge to offer a loving embrace

    Your puke coloured yellow teamed with dark dreary navy
    Heralds mum’s Christmas dinner, with mashed spuds and gravy!

    What? You’re charging extra to pick my own seat?
    Feck it, I’ll take two! One for my feet!

    Your god awful trumpet at the moment we land
    Today, sounds so sweet, so melodic, so grand

    I’m pissed (can you tell?!) as I wait for my flight
    Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

  10. Maystal

    This is all a bit harsh considering the sleep out raised close to (if not more than) 100k a year. Does it represent what its really like to be homeless? Absolutely not, but at least a bit of money comes out of it. Some very grinchy observers around this close to Christmas.

  11. Gina Tonic

    This is the first time I’ve seen this, although I know it has been going on for some years.
    All this money raised and things are worse than ever. Something is very, very wrong and clearly throwing money at the charities isn’t working.

    Time for an overhaul of the way things are being done. Seems like lots of charities are doing bits here and there, but a combined effort is needed to tackle this.

    Basically this kind of thing is a chance for the rest of us to feel good about ourselves and ignore it for another 12 months.

  12. Nially

    Amazing how, both here and on the Irish Times site, criticism of a private school seems to bring all the past pupils running to defend ‘the boys’. I mean, I think Rosita Boland is a muppet, but she’s on the money here.

    On the “Well how else are they supposed to raise money” thing – like, thousands of other ways? That money isn’t coming to them specifically because they’re sleeping on the streets, it comes from their rich parents’ rich mates who would sponsor literally anything little Fiachra and Ultan are doing, because when little Fuineog and Sneachta in Loreto on the Green are selling hand-decorated candles to help [insert cause du jour here] in 6 months, the favour will be repaid. (And I say this having gone to a private school and done fundraising shite there that, with the maturity of adulthood, I look back on and cringe)

    On the “Well what are they meant to do, take smack/knock out teeth/don’t wash?” – like, maybe that’s your hint right there? If they can’t realistically simulate homelessness, they shouldn’t play-act it to feel good about themselves. For every kid who gains a newfound appreciation of the struggles of homeless people, there’ll be far more who go home after it thinking “Yeah, that was grand actually, being homeless isn’t so awful” because they’ve done it in a way where they don’t face danger, uncertainty or any meaningful deprivation* and, beyond that, will feel like they’ve done their bit for homelessness forever and will whip the story out at dinner parties for years to come while still literally stepping over homeless people in their day-to-day lives.

    *Again, I don’t think they *should* face deprivation. The fact that they never would, that we would never countenance allowing a bunch of teenagers from Belvo to be at risk on a school outing, yet we cheerfully cut funding from homeless services to the point that they need to rely on embarrassing pantomimes like this to survive, tells you an awful lot about our priorities

    1. andyourpointiswhatexactly

      I don’t look back and cringe at the charity work I did in school (and to be fair, I just stood outside the Metropole hotel in Cork for two hours and raised funds for SHARE, mostly in the hope of getting a boyfriend from Pres). Having said that, it was the 80s and private schools in Cork had nothing on the wealth of Dublin schools.

      I think it’s a bit mean-spirited to slam private school charity work, really. Even if only a few of the kids learn something, then so be it. It’s better than nowt.

      1. scottser

        i work in the homeless sector. first and foremost homelessness is about your rights under the law. secondly it’s about resources and finance, how they’re allocated and where. knee-jerk phill collins-isms and sentimental bullsh1t needs to take a back seat to everything else.

        as regards fundraising sleep out by the belvedere students, it”ll always do more good than harm. far more good than boland’s article anyway.

  13. Truth in the News

    Imagine Kenny and Burton sleeping rough over Christmas in Molesworh
    St with Micheal D haranging his literacy works aloud to them….it would
    be a crowd stopper…..would the Gardai Public Order Units be deployed at the gates of Leinster House similar to December 10th to protect us from them:
    As to the sleepout at Bank of Ireland, is not the rich pretending to be poor
    for a couple of hours….Jesuetical indeed.

  14. scottser

    home again are a pets charity. and no mention of dublin simon? what a slap in the face for those working at the coal face of rough sleeping this last 30 years. the google machine is obviously not working in the times office, or rosita boland is a lazy twunt.

  15. Digs

    Rosita Boland?… Never heard of her. She’d make a great CEO if the biscuit and cracker companies ever merged though.

  16. James

    I’m sorry if we made you uncomfortable, but your comfort wasn’t one of our priorities. The comfort and safety of the homeless people of Dublin was our goal. And also the fact that Belvedere is a fee paying school is completely irrelevant. And the reason we didn’t look like homeless people is because we are not. Next time you’re writing an article, try not to be a self absorbed person. No one’s making you donate, if you have a problem with the charity keep your spare change, but don’t go out of your way to take credit away from us.

  17. Hashtag Diversity

    Huge sigh of relief from @rositaboland as High Court decision means less space on tomorrow’s Irish Times’s Letters Page addressing the GeeBag vs SleepingBags furore. She needs to apologize and the Irish Times need to offer the Belvo and related crews a space to get their side of the story across. If you want to raise a debate, then share the platform.

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