Page 51 - The Gonzaga Record 1987
P. 51
of the Church in the everyday life of the people. It also removed my fear
of such areas, and made me realise the incredible community spirit and
activity that exists in under-privileged districts. Altogether, it was a very
rewarding experience, and I am glad that I went.
Buckingham Street (Paul Keelan)
Whatever fears I may have had for my own personal safety when em-
barking on the Inner City Plunge proved totally unfounded. From the
very start we were made to feel at home, and immediately accepted into
the community. My hosts, Liam and Anna Byrne, a young couple with
two very young children were very generous to Patrick Kennedy and me.
The 48 hours plunge started at our headquarters, the Offices of the
Youth Employment Action Group, which is situated in lower
Buckingham Street, on the Monday evening. We had a discussion with
two locals, one an ex-joy rider, and the other a full time criminal who had
only just give up heroin, and who had contracted the AIDS virus. What
was very interesting were their motives for the offences. Paul, the joy-
rider, stole cars and drove them at high speed for entertainment. when
he became bored and had nothing else to do. Larry, the criminal, found
that he simply had to steal to support his wife and three children. As he
said himself: "Not a day passes when I'm not conniving and planning a
job~' His views on the AIDS virus were interesting: he wasn't too worried
about it; just had to be careful lest he might catch a cold or some other
disease.
The discussion ended after about an hour and a half, and we were free
for the rest of the evening. Many of us decided to go out with our hosts
to one of the local pubs. By closing time everybody had laid aside their
fears and doubts, and no hostility of any kind was in evidence between
the locals and ourselves. About ten people, mostly locals, returned to the
flat where I was staying, and there we sang ballads and chatted amicably
until three o'clock in the morning. Then when only the four of us were
left Anna produced the family photographs, a sure sign that we had been
accepted by them. That was a great feeling.
One thing which struck me on that first evening was the size of the flat
where we were staying, a small three-bedroomed affair, which was tiny
compared with my own house. This underlined the unequal distri-
bution of wealth in our own city. Yet the locals took it in their stride,
simply saying that we had been luckier. They bore no grudges against us,
however, because of the discrepancy of fortune. The people they disliked
were the ones who bragged about their wealth. This was a theme that
kept re-appearing time after time. As they said themselves: "It is not how
rich you are, but how nice you are~'
The following morning we were afforded the rare opportunity of a visit
to the Children's Court, where we heard several cases involving petty
crimes, varying from joy-riding to larceny. This experience wa very
49
of such areas, and made me realise the incredible community spirit and
activity that exists in under-privileged districts. Altogether, it was a very
rewarding experience, and I am glad that I went.
Buckingham Street (Paul Keelan)
Whatever fears I may have had for my own personal safety when em-
barking on the Inner City Plunge proved totally unfounded. From the
very start we were made to feel at home, and immediately accepted into
the community. My hosts, Liam and Anna Byrne, a young couple with
two very young children were very generous to Patrick Kennedy and me.
The 48 hours plunge started at our headquarters, the Offices of the
Youth Employment Action Group, which is situated in lower
Buckingham Street, on the Monday evening. We had a discussion with
two locals, one an ex-joy rider, and the other a full time criminal who had
only just give up heroin, and who had contracted the AIDS virus. What
was very interesting were their motives for the offences. Paul, the joy-
rider, stole cars and drove them at high speed for entertainment. when
he became bored and had nothing else to do. Larry, the criminal, found
that he simply had to steal to support his wife and three children. As he
said himself: "Not a day passes when I'm not conniving and planning a
job~' His views on the AIDS virus were interesting: he wasn't too worried
about it; just had to be careful lest he might catch a cold or some other
disease.
The discussion ended after about an hour and a half, and we were free
for the rest of the evening. Many of us decided to go out with our hosts
to one of the local pubs. By closing time everybody had laid aside their
fears and doubts, and no hostility of any kind was in evidence between
the locals and ourselves. About ten people, mostly locals, returned to the
flat where I was staying, and there we sang ballads and chatted amicably
until three o'clock in the morning. Then when only the four of us were
left Anna produced the family photographs, a sure sign that we had been
accepted by them. That was a great feeling.
One thing which struck me on that first evening was the size of the flat
where we were staying, a small three-bedroomed affair, which was tiny
compared with my own house. This underlined the unequal distri-
bution of wealth in our own city. Yet the locals took it in their stride,
simply saying that we had been luckier. They bore no grudges against us,
however, because of the discrepancy of fortune. The people they disliked
were the ones who bragged about their wealth. This was a theme that
kept re-appearing time after time. As they said themselves: "It is not how
rich you are, but how nice you are~'
The following morning we were afforded the rare opportunity of a visit
to the Children's Court, where we heard several cases involving petty
crimes, varying from joy-riding to larceny. This experience wa very
49
