Man living in tent was just hours from death
A CAFE owner has revealed how he found a man lifeless and possibly hours from death in a tent outside Cork City Hall.
Paul Walsh said he spotted the makeshift shelter on his way home from work the night before and brought food to give to the person inside yesterday morning.
The 47-year-old, who owns Three Little Piggies Cafe on Union Quay, told Cork’s REDFM as he approached the tent just after 8.30am he could see a man lying on the ground as people walked by.
Paul later told the Mirror: “I was on my way home from my deli yesterday evening and I always walk past City Hall. I spotted a tent pitched outside it.
“So this morning I made a sandwich for him and was walking down to give it to him.
“As I was approaching City Hall I could see him lying outside the tent.
UNCONSCIOUS
“As I got close I could see his eyes were wide open and he was unconscious.
“People were on their way to work and could see him but nobody had gone to check on him. I wasn’t getting a response but he was breathing.
“One of the guys from City Hall was opening one of the windows and asked if he was OK.
“I told him I didn’t think so and he rang an ambulance.
“I sat with him and when the ambulance arrived they checked his vitals. They were not getting any.
“I’m not sure how he is since they took him away.
“He was a respectable looking lad who was in his early 30s.
“The poor unfortunate fella. I hope he pulls through.”
Paul said that sadly it’s far too common seeing people in tents in the city.
He added: “You see a lot of it around Cork, in public parks and the like.
“People who are afraid to go to homeless shelters use tents.
“Everybody has a story and unfortunately there are a lot of people in these predicaments that they don’t want to be in. It’s far too common.”
The crisis isn’t getting better no matter how many hubs are opened EOIN O BROIN YESTERDAY