Charity fury after OAP and homeless man pass away in sub-zero temperatures

A MAN and a woman were found dead in separate tragedies as brutal weather swept the country.

A woman in her 80s was discovered in the grounds of a church in Dundalk, Co Louth, while a homeless man in his 50s passed away on the streets of Cork city.

Gardai are probing both tragedies but are not treating them as suspicious.

A charity said no one should be left to freeze as temperatures plummet.

Cork’s Inner City Helping Homeless added: “As snow fell across the country and temperatures were well below zero it is a national disgrace that a man would be left to die in a doorway.”

The mercury plunged as low as -5C in some parts of the country on Sunday night.

The man’s body was discovered at approximately 7.05am on Sunday at St Finbarr’s Bridge. A Garda spokesman said: “His body was taken to Cork City Morgue. Investigations are ongoing.”

The charity added: “The man in question was known to colleagues of ICHH that do fantastic work helping the homeless in Cork.

“There is justifiable anger that a tragedy like this could happen and we are sadly seeing more and more deaths on the streets of the country.” The group has condemned politicians for jetting off to St Patrick’s Day celebrations while the housing crisis continues.

It said: “As the Taoiseach and ministers were on tour around the world celebrating everything that’s good about Ireland this man’s needless death highlights the true Ireland.

“Homelessness is a national emergency, one that is killing people and no amount of spin can tell us otherwise. Homeless figures are due to hit 10,000 any day now and with the trolley crisis at record levels the question we all have to ask our Government is – how many more people have to die before proper action is taken?

Meanwhile, shock was been expressed over the pensioner who died outside St Oliver Plunkett’s Church, Blackrock, Dundalk, on Sunday night.

Her body was found yesterday.

A forensic team examined the area but it is believed she died of natural causes.

Local county councillor Ruairi O Murchu said: “My sincere condolences to the family. It seems like incredibly sad circumstances.

“Nobody ever imagines an relative dying this way.” at 7.20am elderly