Homeless Given Shelter From The Hurricane In Ireland
Gusts of up to 80mph will batter Ireland, with warnings that it could pose a ‘danger to life’ with a Met Office spokesman warning Ophelia has ‘the potential to cause more devastation than any storm we’ve ever had’.
Rough sleepers are being offered beds for the night as Ireland faces its worst storm in 56 years. Businesses, charities, churches and mosques – and even a children’s day centre – are providing shelter for homeless people in a bid to keep people safe as the remains of Hurricane Ophelia hits the country.
Children’s indoor play centre Tallaght Adventure World, in Dublin, has invited homeless people to spend the night there. They wrote on their Facebook page: “Due to tomorrow’s extreme weather conditions all rough sleepers are invited to Tallaght Adventure World overnight. We hope to find out first thing in the morning if there are enough beds and a back-up plan from the council.”
Others have since commented on the post to offer sleeping bags and helping hands. The play centre said it put a call out for volunteers to assist and said they received a huge response. Luke Richardson, son of Tallaght Adventure World owner Dermot, told metro.co.uk that they have already taken in a few rough sleepers. He said: “The storm is getting bad here at the moment. We’ve had a few people turn up and others that have said they will come back later with others. The response from volunteers has been amazing. We’re getting blankets, sleeping bags and people bringing food, bread and milk, everything.”
Dublin City Council announced on Facebook that an additional 200 temporary accommodation spaces have been sourced for rough sleepers this evening. Others have taken to Twitter to spread the word about other places of shelter.
Meanwhile, an Islamic Cultural Centre in Dublin is also opening its doors to the homeless and anyone in need during ex-Hurricane Ophelia. The centre in Clonskeagh, is welcoming neighbours during one of the worst storms to hit Ireland in half a century. Ophelia is expected to pummel the country with sustained winds of more than 50mph and gusts of around 80mph.
Malek Madani, who works in administration at the centre, told The Independent that the building was “open 24 hours for everyone”. He added: “We provide food and soup. It’s the minimum that we can do as humanitarians. We try to contribute along with council organisations, who have helped us with beds, too.”
Services in Northern Ireland are bracing themselves for the storm, too. Belfast City Councillor Guy Spence posted a message on Facebook saying: “Provisions are being made for extended opening at the Welcome Centre and Centenary House facilities. Outreach workers are on the ground at present advising clients of the extreme weather and trying to encourage them in to facilities as soon as possible.
