My Streets Ireland

10/11/2020

We look for signs that Dublin's heart is still beating-
My Streets Ireland classes continue to be delivered over zoom every Tuesday and Thursday , 10.30 – 12.30 (including today!), throughout lockdown.

My Streets Ireland training is available to anyone with an experience of homelessness and teaches learners confidence, performance, creative writing, research and storytelling skills.
On graduating learners have the opportunity to become a professional tour guide delivering unique tours of Dublin / Drogheda! More information about what we do is available on our website www.mystreetsireland.com.

My Streets Ireland tells stories that change lives; join us!
Email [email protected] to register interest or make enquiries.

09/11/2020

Thanks a mill to HuffPost UK for the recent interview and the chance to share the My Streets story with a wider audience.

Unfortunately, Austin had a bad chest infection at the time and was not at the races at all for the interview! Also, it’s always best to hear about projects that empower vulnerable populations straight from the lips of project beneficiaries rather than from CEO’s or facilitators!

My Streets tells stories that change lives and we are looking forward to adapting and telling important stories in new digital ways from early 2021 onwards. Watch this space!

My Streets Ireland was established to provide pathways to education and employment for people affected by homelessness and has delivered impactful walking tours to over 12,000 customers. Their hope is to change hearts and minds about a pressing social issue.

24/09/2020

My Streets Ireland has delivered impactful tours to 13,000 customers and reached an audience of millions through T.V., radio, newspaper and digital media.

As this number increases so does our capacity to offer even better opportunities to our guides and trainees.

My Streets latest training programme began last week and is not too late to join. If you have been affected by homelessness or work for an agency that serves people affected by homelessness and would like to refer someone to the programme please contact contact [email protected].

14/09/2020

Looking forward to welcoming the brilliant Aron Hegarty back tomorrow to deliver the first day of a new twelve week My Streets Ireland training programme!

This is Aron’s second year delivering the performance element of our training programme and he’s just the man for the job- from his Cork lilt and all around soundness to his years of experience delivering powerful stories with Candlelit Tales he is the perfect man to encourage and cajole a new bunch of trainees.

If you are interested in joining My Streets and being part of something fun and engaging (and appropriately socially distanced) please contact [email protected] or phone 087 707 3548 to join our new training programme.

11/09/2020

We are delighted to announce a new My Streets Ireland training course beginning next Tuesday 15th September.

Training is suitable for individuals recovering from homelessness and provides a real opportunity for trainees to become professional walking tour guides who can tell unique and important stories about Dublin- 55 individuals have completed training to date and provided unique walking tours to 13,000 paying customers!

Training runs two mornings a week for twelve weeks, Tuesday and Thursday ,10.30 – 12.30 out of Robert Emmet CDP, Usher Street, Dublin 8 and each training session is followed by lunch.

Please contact [email protected], phone 087 707 3548 or check out www.mystreetsireland.com for more information or to express interest in joining. Class size is limited to six due to Covid-19 restrictions.

We tell stories that change lives- join us!

22/03/2020

We are thinking of all the mothers who are in difficult situations today; especially those who are in isolation and dealing with the worry of supporting sick families. Also, those who have no place to call home during these uncertain times- mothers living in family hubs, Direct Provision and supported accommodation facilities. As a country that loves our mammies let's be particularly good to them all today.

Let's also remember all the men and women who have no mammies and be good to them too.

These times are troubled and unsure so let's make today meaningful. Give something thoughtful to your mam today- loving words are ideal and deliverable across the board!- and reach out with compassion and love to mothers in difficult situations and people whose mothers are no longer around.

We can get through this with love and empathy. Take care of your mammies and one another!

21/03/2020

Click on the link below to hear My Streets Ireland’s Paddy McEvoy recent appearance on the Magic Minds podcast.

Paddy talks openly about his path into and out of homelessness and according to Magic Minds Host Matt “this was a powerful interview, one that will go down in the history of our podcast”. Well worth a listen.

https://linktr.ee/MagicMind

20/03/2020

My Streets is very proud of each and every one of the trainees and tour guides we have had the pleasure of working with to date.

It's the people behind our tours that gives what we do power and makes us different to everything else out there. As such, over the next number of days, we will feature some of our tour guides and trainees as a taster to what awaits customers once the world starts to function regularly again.

*Vicky

"I was very shy growing up and didn’t know how to communicate with people. I stayed to myself. My family were a great influence, especially my grandparents who always took the time to tell me stories and answer my questions.

I didn’t really enjoy my experience in school until I did a tourism course with the National Learning Network in Roslin Park College, Sandymount when I was 20.It was learner led and I was able to get what I wanted out of it. It gave me independence, self-belief and an ability to have fun.

I love history. I have a wide interest in it and go on as many tours as possible. I watched an RTE programme called ‘Rebellion’ where I learned about the role Irish women played in winning independence for the first time.

I joined My Streets in March 2019 after hearing about it in the hostel where I live. I have lived in Peter McVerry hostels for the past three years which have been very supportive and given me confidence. Another really positive thing for me has been the Arch Club, a social club that gives people with intellectual disabilities dignity and something to do.

My Streets sounded perfect and I began to research the women of the 1916 Rebellion. I've really enjoyed being part of the My Streets programme, meeting and getting to know the other trainees and the brilliant trainers, and now, the customers! In the future I hope to tell as many people as possible about the role of women in history and become a memorable and strong woman myself!"

18/03/2020

In response to the developing situation regarding Corona Virus (Covid-19) we have taken the difficult decision to temporarily discontinue tours as of last week. This decision was taken to avoid unnecessary exposure of customers and mitigate against the risk of further contamination.

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the ongoing support of our customers; your custom allows us to empower people affected by homelessness to tell important stories about Dublin.

We will make another statement on the potential resumption of tours on March 29th, but, in line with other non-essential tourism sector services, we will follow government guidelines and sectoral best practice regarding resuming of tours. As such it could be several weeks before we are effectively back up and running doing what we do best- telling stories that change lives.

Thanks,

The My Streets Ireland Team

11/03/2020

Really looking forward to hearing My Streets Ireland guide Paddy McEvoy's recent appearance on the Magic Minds podcast when it's published.

Many thanks as always to Matt of Magic Minds for doing a series of interviews with My Streets trainees and guides which will appear over the coming weeks!

10/02/2020

We are delighted, astounded and heartened that the World Economic Forum have picked up and shared about My Streets Ireland for the third time in the past year!

An organisation of this size and reputation carrying our message has a very positive impact on our ability to change perceptions surrounding homelessness as well as our ability to change expectations of what an accessible education model with capacity to reach the most vulnerable members of our communities should look like.

Homelessness should not be a pity party and people affected by homelessness deserve more than charity. My Streets Ireland provides individuals affected by homelessness with access to an enjoyable education model and the ability to earn money and deliver a more positive (and realistic) narrative about one of the social issues of our time.

Support My Streets Ireland- book a tour to see an Irish city from a unique perspective and learn more about our practical and inclusive model:
www.mystreetsireland.com

Ireland is currently in the grips of a housing crisis, with homelessness topping a record 10,000 people, according to housing charities.

30/01/2020

Click on the picture below to hear My Streets Ireland guide Stephen Menton conversation in ‘Our Liberties- Voices’ exhibition.

'Our Liberties- Voices' is a socially engaged project designed by Robert Emmet Community Development Project to facilitate people living / working in the Liberties develop a variety of cultural and artistic pieces that express lived experiences of the area.

My Streets tells stories you have never heard. Book your tour here-
www.mystreetsireland.com

“I knocked it on the head and people seemed to start trying to help me when they saw I was sober” Listen to Stephen talk about growing up above a shop in Meath Street, becoming homeless after the deat