After months sleeping rough, Offaly woman still not living in preferred location

AFTER two and a half months sleeping rough in Kinnitty, a Birr woman has told the Midland Tribune that she is still not living in her preferred location.

At the beginning of September, Elaine Meleady told the Tribune that she was living in emergency accommodation in Portlaoise and was very unhappy. She said it was a “nightmare” and she couldn't take much more.

Prior to being moved to Portlaoise by the local authorities Elaine had been “happily living” in Kinnitty for eight and a half years until she was evicted in September 2024, after which she spent a period of time living in a tent. She was moved to emergency accommodation in Portlaoise on April 3.

Elaine told the Tribune in September that the location of the emergency accommodation in Portlaoise was not good. “I'm miles from the shops, from the hospital. It's about a two mile walk to the nearest bus. I need help but no one is helping. My life, my friends, everything is gone and I am dumped out here like unwanted rubbish with my two dogs, where we are living in really bad conditions. My dogs are inside dogs and they are forced to live outside. This place is filthy, there's a lot wrong with it such as black mould on the ceilings." (Pictured below is Elaine with one of her dogs, Sheba).

Shortly after her conversation with the Tribune, Elaine left the emergency accommodation in Portlaoise and travelled to Kinnitty, where she lived for several weeks with her dogs in a tent on the laneway that provides access to the rear of the Catholic Church and Parish Hall.

A number of locals expressed their concern about this and local PP Fr Michael O'Meara contacted Offaly County Council, who arranged for Elaine to be moved to emergency accommodation in Kilkenny city.

“I was first offered a place in Dublin and then in Kilkenny,” she said. “I had to rehome my dogs. I am only in this accommodation until January the 7 and then I have another meeting with Offaly County Council. I want to live in my home area, which is Birr or somewhere nearby in South Offaly, but the Council doesn't seem able to manage that for me.”

Elaine said she has a Doctor's letter stating that she has a lung infection and kidney infection, for which she has been on a course of antibiotics for a number of months.

Elaine's mental health has been up and down ever since being evicted in September 2024. “I'm miles from Kinnitty, miles from my home town of Birr.”

She added that she has been on the housing list for 12 years.

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