“The thing I’m looking forward to the most in my new home is having the space to grow and become fully independent”.

April 7, 2022

CHI Member Glenn discusses life in his new home in St. Canice’s

I’m originally from Wexford town. I was born with spina bifida. I left in 2001 and I moved to Dublin, initially to get my leg amputated. I ended up in Cappagh hospital for 8-9 months. When I went back to Wexford, I found it hard to integrate back into old friends and different things, I was struggling. Even though growing up I didn’t typically have the use of my left leg, when I moved back to Wexford and it wasn’t there, it felt different for me. So, I struggled to integrate back into life in there, so I decided to come back to Dublin.  Growing up, there always was a yearning that I would leave Wexford at some stage of my life.

St. Canice’s Hall, Finglas, is a development of 32 one-bed and two-bed homes.

So, I came back to Dublin and moved to Finglas. I didn’t know where I was at and was looking at what I wanted to do. I had an interest working with people that were vulnerable. So, I went through volunteering organisations. I got offered a placement with Merchant’s Quay Ireland. I went to volunteer and subsequently started working there. From there, I ended up working for 15 years within the homelessness sector.

I always enjoy meeting and connecting with people, that’s always been the main factor in working within homelessness. Through all the years I’ve worked with homeless people what made me the happiest is the countless number of people I’ve met over the years and each one leaving an indelible print on me.

While I was working with Focus Ireland, a production company and RTÉ came up with the idea of creating a homeless choir, called the High Hopes Choir, with members from several organisations. RTÉ needed a consultant, obviously to protect vulnerable people with camera crews coming into their daily lives, and to work alongside them representing the organisations. I was approached and asked if I’d liaise with RTE and the crew. The first year they made a 3-part documentary and the following year they added in a new choir in Cork. So, I worked alongside the organisation there trying to recruit people again and liaising with RTE, to make sure everything was above board, at the same time I was still working 9-5 as a support worker.

The camera went away in 2015 and the members in Dublin asked me if I’d help them to keep the choir going. I said yes and have kept it up ever since. I got a musical director to stay on with them too on a voluntary basis. The choir was a huge success, it was very high profile, so outside of working 9-5 for the organisation, I was also working with them going to do performances, rehearsals and so on. One of them had to give, so I gave up working with the organisation and kept the choirs going.

When I moved to Finglas first I was living in shared accommodation. I wanted to be independent, and rent privately, so I moved into an apartment by myself. However, a lot of the places around the apartment were empty units and there was a lot of antisocial behaviour in the area. A lot of it was near where I was living, and I was by myself. I was alright, I wasn’t targeted or anything like that, but it was just getting more and more uncomfortable and then I decided to try and move again, but it was impossible to find somewhere. So, in the end I ended up a room in an owner-occupied house, before receiving the keys to my forever home.

I have a very good relationship with the owner and had full access to the house but again for me as a disabled person, you’re not comfortable. You don’t have your own dignity and your own privacy, stuff like that. Sometimes I get spasms in my back and usually I would have to stand still until it passes through, but if you’re in pain you can’t drop the crutches and crawl up the stairs, you’d feel embarrassed about it. The last three years for me were hard. Two years ago, I broke my pelvis and fractured a rib, I couldn’t walk for six weeks. Last October just gone I broke a foot and an arm. If I was in my own place, I’d manage that fine, I’d find a way of getting around- but when you’re in someone’s house you might panic and think ‘I can’t get up the stairs now’ or ‘I have to stay upstairs’. Whereas if you’re in your own place, you’re not embarrassed.

The thing I’m looking forward to the most in my new home is having the space to grow and become fully independent. Physically I’m independent but now having my own place I’m going to be emotionally independent and get invested in the community properly. I also have that stability that I won’t to have to move again.”

No items found.