Rashers, as he was known, was a familiar figure in the Islandbridge/Chapelizod area of Dublin. Originally from Crossmolina, Co Mayo, he spent 25 years sleeping in a nest of newspapers, tucked between two walls and sheltered by plastic sheeting, on the banks of the Liffey near UCD Rowing Club.
He came to the attention of Alone, the organisation for the homeless, in the mid-1990s when he was about 65. He used to keep a fire going continuously, covered by a sheet of galvanised metal. He boiled Liffey water in Coke cans and cooked his food in a hub cap. He shaved using an old razor and a broken wing mirror of a car each morning, and was known as a pure gentleman by those who encountered him.
Alone organised his pension, putting a proportion of it into a bank account to pay for his clothes, and kept an eye out for him. Earlier this month the balance was used to pay for his funeral; at 75, Rashers died suddenly of a brain haemorrhage. It is normally at Christmas that the plight of the homeless is highlighted, but the support people like Rashers need is required throughout the year. To this end, Galway Simon borrowed the deck of the Naval Service flagship, Eithne, this weekend to publicise a fund-raising ball to be held on August 26th.
Billed as "The Last of the Summer Wine", the function in the Westwood Hotel includes a wine reception, four course dinner, music by Pyramid and a guest spot by Marc Roberts.
Tickets cost £45 each and are available at 091-588056 or by e-mail: officegalsimon@eircom.net