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ORGANISERS OF TODAY’s abandoned ‘distressed property’ auction at the Shelbourne Hotel say they’re unable to confirm any rescheduled date for the sale as yet, after a group of protesters gained entry to the venue this morning and forced its cancellation.
In a statement this evening, Allsop Space said that it will now, “under the instructions of their clients, continue to offer these properties either by public auction or through other means”.
The company was preparing to auction some 120 properties with reserves totalling €12.1 million, when a handful of demonstrators entered the room, shouting slogans and demanding the company call off the event. Other protesters, many of whom said they had lost homes in the crash, gathered outside after they were denied entry.
Several demonstrators - including one former developer – stayed in the building for around an hour, before leaving after being told the gardaí were being called. Jerry Beades, one of the leaders of the protest, said they had decided to leave after organisers “refused to agree to an ultimatum not to hold any more auctions”.
Speaking outside the Shelbourne, campaigner Tom D’Arcy said his Malahide home had been repossessed earlier this year, and that organisers of the protest had been approached by others in the same situation in recent months. He said:
We were asked to see if we could ensure that people were aware of the fact that these are family homes that you are buying… I think sadly a lot of people are not informed about what is happening in this country.
(Youtube: Daragh Brophy)
Three independent TDs – Michael Healy Rae and Tom Fleming (both Kerry South) Mattie McGrath of (Tipperary South) – were in attendance for the protest.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Fleming said he had been there to lend his support to the thousands of people who were being treated unfairly by the banks, and that many householders and small business owners had been treated “in a ruthless fashion” by lenders.
The deputy called on the Government to re-double efforts to introduce “some humanity” to the way banks interact with people in mortgage arrears, saying those in power were underestimating the strength of feeling on the ground on the issue. He added:
I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a sort of social revolution, comparable to what we’ve just seen in Egypt. It’s an incredibly volatile situation.
Other protesters said they had travelled from as far away as Cork and Kerry to take part in today’s action, and a truck with slogans like “Brian Cowen: Wanted for Economic Treason” and “Protect People, Not Banks” was parked nearby, next to a van displaying a quote from Charles Stewart Parnell.
The truck parked at St Stephen’s Green, close to the Shelbourne this morning (Image: Daragh Brophy)
A spokesperson for Allsop said they still had no word of a rescheduled date for the auction. In its statement this evening, the company said the auction was abandoned” for reasons of risk to the personal safety of the people attending the event”.
The actions of some people attending were both unlawful and intimidatory, resulting in people being prevented from going about their lawful and necessary business as well as being put at risk of personal harm. This open, transparent and legal auction has taken place on 11 previous occasions when occasional opposition to the auction was both peaceful and law abiding. Today’s events were markedly different resulting in its abandonment.
A rental van, bearing an 1880 quotation from Charles Stewart Parnell parked close to the Shelbourne today
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He was homeless not because of policies but because he was a heroin addict.
True joe but the media stories all ignore this
The poor guy had two houses given him which he lost due to heroin. The 170 or so homeless in Dublin (which have 23 charities looking after them btw) would be better served having proper addiction counselling and addition services. Some of those charities are businesses that don’t really want the problem solved.
I was in Vatican once, homeless people everywhere. I mean….
I hope the occupier is not away on holidays !! The poor man did not have a life or a proper death. At peace, hopefully !
44 steps thing is a load of nonsense. The Dail didn’t kill him.
Completely agree. A ridiculous addition.
Do they need planning permission for that plaque?
Have the results of his post mortem been made public? Just wondering if cause of death was released…
Hypothermia seems to be a safe assumption. It was an especially cold night and sleeping outdoors with minimal shelter is such conditions is not to be recommended.
Nice touch, it would have been nicer if he didn’t have to die in the first place but hopefully his death won’t be in vain and the issue of homelessness will be seriously tackled! R.I.P John
16 red thumbs on this comment, wtf??
Some people just need a kick up the hole!!!
Maybe the red thumbers are aware of the fact that this man came from a wealthy family, who bought him two different houses to live in. It’s also clear his family did everything they could to help him conquer his addiction, but sadly he was unable to do so. What exactly could the government have done for this man that his family had not already done? It’s too easy to just blame “the government” for everything. At the end of the day, if people aren’t wiling to accept help, they can’t be helped.
On rte theyve gone from the vote of no confidence in Kenny, to slagging off Sinn fein, to how cheap irish water will be. Im utterly convinced now they are getting their orders from the minister of communications. Jonathan Corrie will be gone from the politicians memories next week. Simply because they have nothing to gain from it
Sad but true Truth, sad isn’t it that they use a dead man to score political points, lowest of the low!
Dead men and dead women. Once theres a vote to be had
Does anyone know what the building is used for, is it a house or a business?
This country is going down the swanny when you see a plaque commemorating a deceased drug addict whose only contribution to society was becoming a political football for the Liberal Left in his death.
I knew a man over 20 yrs ago died of cold on the streets of Dublin … The army where called in to open the closed section of Brendan’s hospital for the homeless . They swore then they would deal with the homeless problem .. They didn’t care as soon as the winter was over nothing was done empty promises … I only hope this time it will be different
Typical. Despite all the warnings, someone had to physically for before the government did something.
Is it not the same with everything in life? Train seat belts will be next!
Podge, could you give some specific examples of what you think the government – or anyone else – could or should have done?
Buy him a house to live in? His family did that – twice – but he sold both houses and ended up back on the streets.
Provide emergency accommodation? “‘Repeated offers of emergency accommodation were provided, however, Mr Corrie did not avail of these, as was his right,’ the Dublin Region Homeless Executive said in a statement”.
Provide healthcare/addiction support? “He wasn’t easy to deal with. For instance, he once said he didn’t want to attend the health clinic because he thought he’d be ordered to stop drinking” according to a homeless support worker.
Short of forcibly removing him from the streets and confining him in an institution, it sounds like not much else could have been done for him. And there would be outrage if we still locked people up just because they are homeless.
There are names of more than a few living politicians and bankers which I would prefer to see as plaques to recently deceased. Our inglorious Taoiseach would have us believe that after a life time in politics, he has just discovered that being homeless is truly miserable!
Well said Tony Daly.
Lets gets real for at least a second. This guy had two houses which he sold and spent it all on drugs and ended up homeless. Well there you go…!! I feel sorry for any homeless person but this guy made his bed.
Done and dusted man.
Regardless of what he had or done no one should judge we all have our own stories an journey. No one is perfect RIP
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