WATCH: 'We have poets, painters, and asylum seekers now on the Grand Canal...'
“We have poets, painters and asylum seekers now on the Grand Canal, just as the sun is shining down. I’m sure Kavanagh could write a great poem about that.”
So spoke one local man, while he was painting a canvas just yards from the statue of poet Patrick Kavanagh, on the sun-dappled leafy banks of the canal, with Dublin’s latest tented encampment pitched nearby
Among the more than 70 homeless asylum seekers now temporarily calling the canal bank home, is a 15-year-old Palestinian boy who arrived here a couple of days ago after fleeing the war in his native country.
He told the Irish Examiner that he moved to the site on Saturday, along with three of his friends and said he has “not eaten in three days”.
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His friends said they have been homeless in Dublin for the past 20 days and moved to the banks of Grand Canal on Friday where they feel “a bit safer”.
Up to 70 tents are now pitched along the canal.
Their appearance follows the removal of ‘tent city’ from outside the International Protection Office on Wednesday. Most of the men who had been sleeping on Mount St were moved to facilities at the Citywest hotel in Dublin and Crooksling in Co Dublin.
The four Palestinian friends said they are aged, 15, 18, 19 and 20.
The 20-year-old, who said his name is Samir, spoke to the Irish Examiner using google translate.
“I am from Hebron in Palestine” he said. “My parents died in the war, I have two brothers and they are still there. I escaped.
“We are friends, we came here together, we have not eaten in three days”.
The sculpture of poet Patrick Kavanagh on Dublin’s Grand Canal photographed on Sunday as homeless asylum seekers pitched tents nearby. Picture: Alison O’Reilly
The sculpture of poet Patrick Kavanagh on Dublin’s Grand Canal photographed on Sunday as homeless asylum seekers pitched tents nearby. Picture: Alison O’Reilly
He said they are registered with the International Protection Office in Mount St but that they are “hungry and have no money”.
“We are very tired,” said Samir. “We have no food”.
The latest figures from the Department of integration show there are 1,676 asylum seekers here currently without accommodation.
On Sunday, when the Irish Examiner visited Grand Canal, dozens of members of the public were standing on footpaths or walking along the canal filming the asylum seekers.
One man shouted, “No need to fear, you are welcome here in Ballsbridge. Stay as long as you like.”
By evening time, more asylum seekers were arriving with their tents to pitch them the canal.
Another asylum seeker from Nigeria, who moved to the area on Saturday, told the Irish Examiner, “I don’t want to be living like this”.
“I am 30 years old, and I am educated, well educated. I had to leave Nigeria because of my sexual orientation. But I would hope to stay and get to work.
“Nobody would like this. I did not want to go to the tent in Citywest area, this is better here, but hopefully not long.”
“I have a degree in computer studies, and we are washing in the canal.”
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