'If I didn’t have bad luck, I’d have no luck at all': Kildare man living in tent

“IF I didn’t have bad luck, I’d have no luck at all,” said a Kildare chef who has been homeless for a year and a half.

Kevin (not his real name) has been living in a tent on the Johnstown roundabout alongside two others after being moved out of emergency accomodation in Kerdiffstown for retaliating after his stuff was being ransacked.

The 23 year old is originally from Kildare town but had been working in Naas up until his misfortune.

Kevin had been working in some well known local restaraunts but that came to an end after he broke his hand.

“Nothing seemed to go right after that,” he said. “I’ve worked all my life since I was 16."

“After I broke my hand I was out of work for four weeks, but the social would only pay out if you were unemployed for six weeks.

“So I never collected the dole, and even though I was homeless just before Christmas I was not entitled to the bonus.

“The council put me in Kerdiffstown, but I woke up one night and found two fellas going through my stuff, and I fought back."

Kevin said does not use drugs but he cannot find work in his current situation.

“I go into the council every second day, and I keep getting told my name is on a list.

“But you need facilities. You can’t go into a kitchen if you’re stinking, and I regularly wake up wet.

“I get €163 dole a week but I have a partner and two small kids, so most of that goes on nappies and formula.

“I used to do barbering with my brother in the UK, but it is a social job, but you need to be clean and look the part."

Kevin spoke to the Kildare Nationalist while he was in Naas library where he could power his phone and use the internet.

“I’ve worked all my life and I’m entitled to nothing."

Kevin's partner and children were living elsewhere and it was not possible to live with them due to circumstances. His father had passed away and his mother had bi-polar disorder.

He said: “The refugee containers (Flood's Cross) ... I hear they’re half empty, so I’d be happy enough to rent one of those for a couple of weeks.

The man was put in contact with The Kildare Nationalist through Naas councillor Ger Dunne.

“He contacted me a couple of weeks ago saying he was living in a tent on the Dublin Road, and asked me if I could give him a bit of help,” said cllr Dunne.

“Some of those lads go into the bookies where they can get a bit of warmth and a cup of tea.

“Some mornings the bookies near me in Monread is a bit like a community centre.

“This poor fella was in a good place and then, boom!

“It is like they say – you’re only one pay cheque away”.