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THE IRISH RED Cross is facilitating the placement of Syrian and Iraqi refugees into medium to long term accommodation across the country, and since August 2017 has placed 65 refugees into housing.
This follows from a request made by the Department of Justice and Equality to the Irish Red Cross in the autumn of 2015 to manage a register of pledges for accommodation, goods, and services made by the Irish public on a charitable basis. As a result, the Irish people made 832 pledges. Three quarters of these pledges were for accommodation while the remainder were for goods and services.
Mary O’Reilly who lives in Baldoyle in Dublin explains why she decided to give 26-year-old Syrian refugee Wassim a room in her home which looks over beautiful Dublin Bay in Baldoyle, Co Dublin.
You know when people say it was when they saw the child on the beach, but it wasn’t that for me. It was before that. It was two years ago that I put my name down on the Register of Pledges.
I have a house here with a spare room and I heard somebody say – and it is so true – the only difference between them and us is luck and it is, it’s just luck. It could have been me, you know. These people were running for their lives. I felt it was the right thing to do and I’ve been blessed in everything I have. It was time to give back.
So that was two years ago, and the Irish Red Cross would contact me every couple of months to make sure I was still interested and I’d go: “Yea, yea I’m still available.” Then the call came saying: “Mary. we have somebody for you.”
I only got about a week’s notice that Wassim was coming so there was no pulling out.
I had taken redundancy from working with Irish Life to look after my mother, but she passed four years ago and I’m here all the time which means I can be here to help him. It’s not that I was at a loss though – I wasn’t just doing it for something to do, if I was working I would still have done it.
Wassim’s arrival
When he first arrived, Wassim was giving his family tours of my gaff via FaceTime. He was walking around the house showing them the sea, showing them me.
Wassim comes from Al-Zabadani, a city high in the mountains on the Lebanese border in southwestern Syria. His father ran a construction and horticultural business growing apple and peach trees. Wassim had been working as a manager with his father and was going to take over the family business. His home and the business have since been destroyed.
The war really took its toll on Al-Zabadani – nobody lives there now – it’s a city of ruins. His family moved nearer to Damascus but again were forced to leave because of the war. In 2013 they fled to Lebanon.
In January 2016, Wassim and his 17-year-old cousin Rami left Lebanon for Turkey. Then they made their way to Greece by boat. Can you imagine if you were 17, making that journey not knowing what lay ahead? Leaving your family behind, facing into a new culture, a new language… Would I have had the courage? I don’t know.
An injection of Middle Eastern culture
For all he has been through, he’s so good humoured – a typical 26-year-old. I’m enjoying having an injection of Middle Eastern culture into my home.
He loves cooking. He cooks for hours, all these little meals and, of course, I have to sample all the food he makes, such as his fatteh (a chickpea dish) and home-made hummus with Syrian bread.
I love different cultures. I went to Cuba this year. I love travelling and I would love to have gone to Damascus, but now I have this culture come and live with me.
If there’s one downside to having Wassim stay with me it’s that he gets on a little too well with Lolly, my Tibetan terrier. It’s double the tidbits for her.
I don’t think welcoming Wassim into my home was a big deal, but friends I know had said to me: “No way Mary, are you mad?” One lad said to me: “Good on you. A lot of people talk the talk but you’re walking the walk.”
I don’t think it’s a great thing to do, I really don’t. If anything I’ve been enriched by the experience. Maybe it’s just me, maybe it’s my nature, but lots of people take in an Irish person. What’s the difference, are we not all the same?
Mary O’Reilly was speaking in conversation with TheJournal.ie.
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Fair play ! Highly admirable. Well done
@macooper: Predation on poor young men by desperate middle-aged women is ‘admirable’? Wait until middle-aged men start taking in poor young girls from abroad. I’m sure the praise will come rolling in. “Oh, I just love the food she cooks for me. So many dishes I can’t help but taste them”. It’s sleezy and disgusting is what it is
Heart-warming story, fair play to this woman and young chap rebuilding his life, you are most welcome to my country.
@Joe Bloggs: I asked you first, but it doesn’t stop you spouting your hypocritical faux concern for homeless Irish people, in fact you make derogatory comments about them on other articles, why don’t you just admit you are a racist and got angrily triggered when you saw this headline and cut out the nonsense.
@Joe Bloggs: so take in a drug addict or alcoholic? Or take in a single mother with two kids who has declared herself as homeless to get a free house while her mother lives alone in a the bed council house. Great system
@Justin Barrett: which country is that now Liam? Bradford England, Russia, or wherever your bi polar has your brain residing?
@Justin Barrett: Ah the racist accusation! What a shock! FRACker! False racism accuser! Crackers have no arguments and try to win by their disgusting allegations!
@Don Shavago: I call it as it is, if you can’t handle that maybe you should hang out with your little buddies on Stormfront.
@Joe Bloggs: who have you taken into your home, Joe? Let him who is without sin ….
@Justin Barrett: You accuse people in falsehood because it’s easier than thinking up responses. You are a disgusting FRACker
@Justin Barrett: Say’s the man who once commented under the name Tariq ibn Ziyad .
@Ken Hayden: Did I? News to me.
@Joe Bloggs:
Joe…..well done for speaking what we (normal working tax payers) are thinking
I agree with you totally
@Mark Walsh: It’s true that racists also pay tax, can’t argue with you there.
@Mark Walsh: i pay taxes and i dont agree with him. More lies from ye
@Joe Bloggs: why dont you take a homeless person in joe
@Garrett Mullan: Oh, cop on. She had a spare room.
@Joe Bloggs: Typical comments section coward, willing to spout hateful bile as long as you can hide before your Internet anonymity. Show yourself and have the courage to stand behind your bigotry. Not a chance.
@Joe Bloggs: I agree. Charity starts at home. This is just one of those PC articles thats supposed to give us a warm fuzzy feeling by promoting the idea of an massive uncontrolled influx of easterners into Ireland. It also plays with the Irish emotions because of our history of both conflict and emigration. So we are supposed to give handouts to these economic migrants because we have emigrated throughout history?? The Irish have never gotten handouts anywhere they went, just plenty of hard work in the guise of jobs that nobody else wanted to do. And before anyone says I am racist, I’m not. My wife has coloured skin. I am just very cynical of the The Coudenhove-Kalergi Plan agenda and the consequent destruction of each countries national identity. However, unfortunately it’s probably already too late to stop it at this stage. The plan is already well underway and the majority are cheer leading from the sidelines at the behest of our European overlords. Make no mistake, Brexit is not happening for no reason.
@Ian Oh: Great Post.
@Justin Barrett: You don’t think it’s a bit sleazy though? A middle-aged single woman taking in a handsome young male who is completely dependent on her for even the food he eats. How would it be is middle-aged men were taking in young poor women? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sass4jgyEUY
@Michael Geraghty: When a dog just isn’t enough of a pet anymore … get a young toyboy who is totally dependent on you. Power imbalance,,,,, yay! You go girl
@Justin Barrett: The problem is too many want to come unless one wants to go the same direction as Sweden .
when is he going home? the war is over..
@POS51: yeah so why doesn’t he go back to a country in ruins.. Considering the history of the Irish maybe you could think about being less of a piece of shit.
@Paul Moran: if Ireland was in ruins I’d feel passionately that I’d need to come back and help rebuild. It’s a fair point. I’d feel like a piece of sh!t otherwise to use your colourful and unnecessary language.
@Awkward Seal: Well said.
@POS51: Because he’s Lebanese?
Fair play but why the staged photo?
@Sean Higgins: act natural
Ah i love a good Propaganda story. Soon all his circle will be invited in. I bet its big.
@purple rain: All these type of comments will be deleted , mine have, may not suit the agenda
@purple rain: I agree. Charity starts at home. This is just one of those PC articles thats supposed to give us a warm fuzzy feeling by promoting the idea of an massive uncontrolled influx of easterners into Ireland. It also plays with the Irish emotions because of our history of both conflict and emigration. So we are supposed to give handouts to these economic migrants because we have emigrated throughout history?? The Irish have never gotten handouts anywhere they went, just plenty of hard work in the guise of jobs that nobody else wanted to do. And before anyone says I am racist, I’m not. My wife has coloured skin. I am just very cynical of the The Coudenhove-Kalergi Plan agenda and the consequent destruction of each countries national identity. However, unfortunately it’s probably already too late to stop it at this stage. The plan is already well underway and the majority are cheer leading from the sidelines at the behest of our European overlords. Make no mistake, Brexit is not happening for no reason.
@Damien Wallanger: I never regarded getting employment as a handout .
Welcome, Wassim. Respect, Mary
@Tom Malone: Respect Wassim. Well played my man. You made it. Mary, you are a fool
Bet he is laughing at her naivety behind her back. Wait until the chain starts with up the third cousin twice removed coming in.
@Damien Wallanger: Depends on the type of immigrant and their intentions. We do not need another Bradford, Luton, Malmo or Moellenbeck. This woman is probably blissfully unaware of the situation in those cities and many others. She is just showing off how virteous she is. The potential consequences don’t worry her. Ironically it is women like her who’s living conditions and rights have deteriorated the most in the above locations. Seasonally topical turkeys voting for Christmas comes to mind.
@Damien Wallanger: People are most certainly not all the same. Neither are all cultures. We have taken centuries and millions of lives to get to the point where we value ideals such as democracy, freedom of association, freedom of speech, women’s rights, separation of church and state, etc,etc. These are the values that have made Europe and other white countries the envy of all these treasure hunters. They come from places where women are legally property. Where people are executed for ‘witchcraft’. Where gays are thrown form buildings. Where the church runs the state. And you think “people are people”. When 1000 women were sexually molested on a single night in Germany by these ‘refugees’ you can see how they are not like westerners. Sweden in the rape capital of the world now. Women cannot go out at night. And yet you welcome people into your home simply to signal your superior morals to the world. All you are signalling is your inferior intelligence.
@Deano Cracow: You always bite the hand that feeds you . I had 5 refugees living in my house .I was glad they left listening to how they did not get benefits etc .
Thats just fine and dandy
@Joe Bloggs: Why don’t you house some Irish people keyboard warrior?
@Joe Bloggs: oh fu(king bite me
@Joe Bloggs: great use of an unnecessary apostrophe there! Maybe you could give them lessons in broken English?
@Justin Barrett: Are you stupid, what kind of a country houses foreigners over their own people. This madness will stop sooner or later.
@Damien Wallanger: Whatever got him all the thumbs obviously doesn’t fit with the journals narrative .
Poof ! censored .
@Ken Hayden: It’s OK, he’s been deleted. You can go back to pretending that his opinion is ‘extremist’ and unpopular. It’s not. That’s why parties of the right are gaining ground all over Europe and why ideologues like you don’t get it
@Justin Barrett: Speak for yourself . I had 5 and I certainly would not do it again !!
Wow even for the journal this must be a record , 40% of comments deleted .
Lots of hard men in the comments section telling this guy to go back and fight in Syria. I’d like to see one of you on the plane to Aleppo.
@Fergus Kavanagh: Aleppo has been liberated, they are enjoying the Christmas celebrations in the streets as we speak,plenty of coverage of it,if you care to research.
@Fergus Kavanagh: most of these idiots have no jobs and live on social welfare. Fight for Ireland? They have contributed nothing to Ireland.
@Fergus Kavanagh: 1 it is not our war. 2. , The war is over, Assad,despite the attempts of America to oust him and with the help of Russia has defeated the rebels. This lad could and should go back to his own country to help his people.
@Fergus Kavanagh: The war there is almost over .
There are plenty of decent refugees seeking to flee Islamist persecution. I agree with the west taking in plenty of them. However, I strongly disagree with Merkel’s open door to the EU in 2015 as it also allowed many people hostile to liberal democracy to come to the west. This asylum seeker escaping persecution agrees with me. http://quillette.com/2016/10/14/fleeing-theocracy-an-asylum-seekers-defence-of-the-west/
@AR Devine: another good piece
How many of these so-called “refugees” are really in need to be settled in the country? Do they just want to get to Europe without doing anything under the name of “refugee”? While I respect the humanitarian effort we are making, I wonder if this is fair to so many hard-working non-EU immigrants who are contributing to the Irish economy already yet have to continue to work hard to earn the right to remain in the country?
@The Foreigner: I said “non-EU” immigrants in my comment and I’m talking about hard working non-EU workers whose PAYE/PRSI/USC becomes whatever allowance to support refugees. Where is the fairness? Eastern European people abusing the welfare system here is another issue.
@PG: Not going to pretend that isn’t a possibility. But my bet is she wanted to make a gesture. One that would get on the news. Taking in your bog standard homeless man or a mother and child in need wouldn’t get you an article in the news.
@Richard Wright:
Unless you are totally on board with Merkel’s mantra, you will be labelled a racist. It has lost its resonance and power to strike dumb, it so easily trips off the tongue.
Trawl through the gutter comments and please accept my congratulations on an amazingly life changing gesture . My hats off to you
‘Attractive older lady seeks younger man for friendship, maybe more. Must like dogs.’
65 refugees..disgracefull
@PG: there are around 180 homeless people in Dublin, as distinct from the people who want better homes than they have. Many of these 180 have severe addiction or mental health problems, so solving their problems isn’t as simple as taking them into somebody’s home. A woman living alone isn’t in the best position to give a home to someone who is disturbed or who has addiction issues.
This woman has simply done what she was in a position to do; she has helped one person and made his life better. That’s enough.
@John Mulligan: Why did she not take in a woman. Would have been more suitable. Probably aren’t enough of them or there is some cultural issue. This will end in tears. Silly woman. She obviously has no concept of consequences.
Fair play to her.
Imagine Thatcher had said in early 80s “we’ve had enough of these Irish dopes, we’ll invade and rule from London”. We could well be in a situation begging the EU or NATO to do something for us. Fair play to her.
@Richard Wright: Ah the mask slips, very telling…
@Colm Daly: You’re not very good at the who thinly veiled racism thing are you? At least have the honesty to start your comment with “I’m not a racist, but…” And if you are so upset and sad about Irish homelessness, then why don’t you house them yourself?
@Justin Barrett: There is always going to be a problem with homelessness, because we do not live in an ideal world. but our homeless situation is being made a hundred times worse by foreigners coming into this country and being given housing that should be given to Irish people. This is Ireland, and Irish people should be first priority, period.
@Richard Wright: The Alt-Right parody always says; “The word racism has lost all meaning” in an effort to stop others calling out racist behaviour, I see many bigots parroting the same sentence on this article, sheep.
@Justin Barret I find you very racist towards the Irish people, you are always defending the immigrants, and to hell with the Irish, seems to be your attitude.
@Georgio Zizek: you’d wonder what the deal is.
That is a ringer for my Molly – great idea by the lady
@Colm Daly: personally id much prefer a Syrian in my spare room. A cultured educated people.
All the negativity is ridiculous. Why when someone does something so nice and selfless people pick holes in it. What she is doing is truly remarkable and we can all learn something from it.
What she is doing is truly remarkable and it’s something we could all learn from. The negative comments are ridiculous. Open yours eyes up to what’s going on in the world. Media will only show you what you want to see. Ive been in Lebanon several times since the war started and the refugee crisis there is very sad.
The real problem is people enjoy rolling in the negative like pigs in mud as does the news and media, that just gives everyone a bad name. It is like NLP after a while and this creates racism, bigotry and hatred because there isn’t enough stories out there to challenge the negative stuff that reinforces fear and hatred from the media and the so called news?
@Alois Irlmaier: She’s just a desperate old lady taking in a toy boy. It is a grubby as it is sordid. Reverse the sexes and imagine the consternation
I wonder are ISISrael and Saudi Arabia taking refugees………lol…….noop !! they will create the conditions for mass migration but will take any……US/ISISrael/Saudis is the real axis of evil……
If European want free in Middle East and Democracy law must first change Saudi Arabia kingdom not Syria and Libya and Tunisia.
European governments and USA
Some pretty odd comments made about the German experience, here’s my twopence worth:
Germany has been living with multiculturalism for decades now. There are Turks, Greeks, Serbs, Croats, Poles, Russians, Africans from all parts, Americans from north and south and they even have Irish like me … and they have been coping brilliantly. With time the new influx of refugees will find their way into daily life and off the political agenda. Those who live together with other cultures actually tend to profit from the opportunity rather than find themselves crying bankruptcy. There will of course be a small number who seek scapegoats for their own insecurities and who better than those they perceive to be in a weaker position than they find themselves. To these people, I can only offer the challenge of jumping out of your own shadow and discover life!
@Liam: Germany brought mainly secular muslims from Turkey after the war to help rebuild the country , but now with the likes of Erdogan in power , even you must see the changes happening among the Turkish people living in Germany .
Islam does not have anything in common with democracy , it will not integrate unless forced to by some strongman dictator , the fundamentals of islam are alien to western culture .
@Liam: Multiculturalism is the belief that different cultures can live alongside each other in harmony. No integration, just vastly different cultures living in peace. Even Merkel admitted this multiculturalism has failed. Where different cultures exist on the same territory at the same time one will always dominate and that is always the more warlike. In this case Europe will lose it’s native culture and become a mish-mash of backward middle-east, Asian and African ghetto culture because the migrants flooding to Europe are not the doctors and millionaire businessmen. They are the unemployed, uneducated and criminal.
Hi .iam Assyrian not Arabs we are different from Arabs .i Live in Ireland for last 16 years also have an irish passports since 2007.
The European government and USA
If European want free in Middle East and Democracy law must first change Saudi Arabia kingdom not Syria and Libya and Tunisia.
European governments and USA
@Assyrain: European values of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of association … don’t laugh .. .women’s rights … sorry had to say it. These and the other principles that made Europe the great place the entire world wants to get to are not patented. You can implement them where you live and make your own country great instead of thinking that if you come here you will suddenly become civilised. You will just turn our countries into the sheet holes you left behind in rubble. We fought for our freedom. You should try that instead of running away like cowards
@Val Anna: I guess you should go and learn more about Assyrian civilization and then rethink about your comments.
If you USA and European governments want change Middle East to freedom country they must first Chang Saudi Arabia first.
If u don’t agree with me . Well then this is your issue not ours.
Hi .iam Assyrian not Arabs we are different from Arabs .i Live in Ireland for last 16 years also have an irish passports since 2007.
The European government and USA
This woman is very generous to share her home with the young man from Syria. From the report, it seems both are benefiting from knowing each other.
She is so right when she declares that this could be you or me, being in the predicament of seeking refuge in a foreign land.
@J M Moloney: And if it were a middle-aged man ‘sharing his home’ with a young refugee woman? Would you recognise the sexual exploitation then?
Hi .iam Assyrian not Arabs we are different from Arabs .i Live in Ireland for last 16 years also have an irish passports since 2007.
The European government and USA
She only took him in because she likes brown cock. There are hundreds of Britons who need a home, yet she brings in a muslim invader.
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