I was off work today and decided to go for a walk into town(Dub that is) and I have not walked into town in months.
Result - Beggars everywhere.
I step out the door, one around the corner from the apt outside a Spar, another up on a bridge 30seconds away and 2 more on another bridge(the new one called Samuel Beckett where there is one beggar on opposite side of the bridge).
Another beggar on Pearse st, 2 on O'Connell bridge, 2 on O'Connell St, 2 on Henry st, 2 on Liffey st and 1 on Mary st. Whats that, 14 on that short journey over a few streets.
Now, all bar 2 of the above were of a certain foreign grouping we know well. One of them I saw on my journey back promptly got up, did a jog on the spot for about a minute to warm up and promptly sat back down with the blanket over him with that desperate look of starvation. Looked very healthy and clothed for a bloke in need.
Another who I'm certain was Irish(as I heard him speak to a stall seller for a split second on my return journey) was outside the M&S on Henry st. First time I walked past him at 12:30pm he was covered in sleeping bags & blankets all desperate looking with the cup in hand waiting for a coin to drop into it.
When i came out of the shops 2 min later and walked back past his spot, i couldn't believe what I saw in front of me. He got up, spoke to the seller and walked around the corner onto Liffey st. He looked very fit to me as if he worked out in the gym and well fed with good clothes, you could mistake him for a bouncer. Not a bother on him as he went on his way and for the smart arses...no, he was not sleeping there after a night out


To throw in the mix, there was about 20 kids from Belvedere College all out with their buckets 'begging' for money. Why do they give a f*** at Xmas about the homeless and not
every other day of the year?
And oh, all the beggars disappeared as I retraced my journey a couple of hours ago. I had my suspicions but is this one big con job money making style by the beggars?:mad: