‘Homelessness can affect people from all walks of life’
By Mary Dennehy
A TALLAGHT native who experienced first-hand how homelessness can come to anybody’s door is releasing a song on the homeless situation in Ireland to raise funds for the Peter McVerry Trust.
Dominic Kelly, a former Firhouse Community College student was reared in Millbrook Lawns and is the son of Maureen Kelly, who ran the Kelly School of Ballroom dancing in Tallaght, has been living in Denmark with his Danish wife Dorte and their three young children for more than 12 years.
The Boxty Lads
Dominic’s wife Dorte had, back in 2014, three-quarters of a lung removed to stop the spread of cancer – a situation which was exasperated by the presence of a “deadly mould” in their home.
Dominic and his family had to leave their home due to the growing mould situation, which left their house uninhabitable.
Their home insurance did not cover for the mould problem so, the family were left in dire straits as they had to continue paying their mortgage while renting.
However, as reported in The Echo in February 2015, a fundraising campaign to keep a roof over the family’s head started in Denmark – and spread to Dominic’s hometown of Tallaght.
Speaking with The Echo from Denmark this week, Dominic said: “If this had happened to us back in Ireland, I am 100 per cent sure that we would have ended up homeless.
“Every day I listen to Irish radio and can’t believe the homeless situation… and the rental market.
Homelessness can affect people from all walks of life
“Homelessness can affect people from all walks of life… and after losing my own home it has always been in my head to raise some money [for those affected by homelessness].”
He added: “When we lost our home it was just before Christmas and I remember driving around with a Christmas tree in my van but having nowhere to put it.”
Dominic and his group The Boxty Lads have written a song for Ireland’s homeless called A Tale of Two Cities, which centres round the two lives in Dublin – those living a rich lifestyle and those struggling.
“I don’t want to give too much away [about the song] just yet,” Dominic said.
“The main thing is I want to do something, like all those people did something for my family a few years back…I’ll never forget that.
“I can’t afford to do anything but I can make a song.”
The Boxty Lads have started a GoFundMe page to raise around €500 to get the song recorded, with all money raised through the sale of the song on iTunes going to the Peter McVerry Trust.
“We have an engineer on board for free so that should bring the costs down,” Dominic said.
“We’re thinking €500 max should get the song made and anything left [from the GoFundMe] will go to Peter McVerry.
“Then every download on iTunes will go directly to Peter McVerry for the next three years.”
To support the production of the charity song visit GoFundMe (A Song for Ireland’s Homeless – Dom Kelly).
Follow The Boxty Lads on Facebook.
