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Cork Penny Dinners are opening overnight for the first time since the 1800s

The charity now feeds about 2,000 people per week.

CORK PENNY DINNERS, a charity serving food to “anyone who is hungry” in Cork, has begun to remain open overnight for the first time since the 19th century. 

The charity was established as a soup kitchen in 1888, but likely goes back further to the times of the famine in the 1840s. 

Caitriona Twomey, head of the charity, said on Morning Ireland that the recent decision was made because “we lost so many people last year, because of the cold spells; even people in their homes. We decided that we would have to stay open”.

According to Department of Housing figures, 363 people were homeless in Cork in the second last week of November 2018. 

Last night, 11 people reportedly slept on the floor at Cork penny dinners.

“We have to do it, all organisations try to go above and beyond. We’re dealing with people, human beings, and we know that if they’re out there in the elements, some of them are going to die,” she said.

Basically it’s just to get people through the night, through the cold, and through the pain that they’re suffering, because the streets are very hard.”

Volunteers, and “everyone on the ground knows the story”, said Twomey, adding that the government has not listened to the possible solutions the group has offered. The problem is likely to grow, she claimed.

Our government is not doing the right thing by its people, by letting more and more people fall under that line.”

The charity is currently feeding about 2,000 people a week, according to Twomey. At the start of the recession, she added, they were feeding between 100 and 120 a week. ”
“The country is not in recovery,” she said.

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    Mute Toon Army
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    Jul 21st 2018, 7:42 AM

    Well at least the gangs can read about what the gardai intelligence is and what they believe the gangs next steps will be. Maybe the Journal could also provide a map detailing where exactly the new check points will be?

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    Mute ParSim
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    Jul 21st 2018, 9:01 AM

    @Toon Army: Do you think the gangs don’t know this already?

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    Mute DaisyMay
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    Jul 21st 2018, 6:45 AM

    The cost of policing these gangs must be extraordinary. We need to decriminalize drug users and slap a mandatory twenty years on drug sellers

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    Mute Nameless and shameless
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    Jul 21st 2018, 6:50 AM

    @DaisyMay: I know but these drug dealers had a rough up bringing and they won’t get the tender love and care they are entitled to in prison. With the right programmes they can become outstanding members of a community.

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    Mute DaisyMay
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    Jul 21st 2018, 6:55 AM

    @Nameless and shameless: maybe some hard labor and forced education might help

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    Mute john doe
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    Jul 21st 2018, 9:14 AM

    @DaisyMay: how would your suggestion reduce the cost of policing these criminals? The only way to do that is legalisation and regulation.

    Decriminalisation would only reduce the cost of policing users, which in itself would also be worthwhile.

    For what it’s worth neither MDMA or ketamine are very harmful in their pure form. The problem is these gangsters cutting them with god knows what to increase their profits. Again regulation would solve that greatly reducing potential for harms to the public who use these drugs.

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    Mute Gareth Cooney
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    Jul 21st 2018, 10:14 AM

    @DaisyMay: How does that work? Legal to buy but illegal to sell?
    The cost of policing the scangers remains the same in face of drugs are legal to take then they become more in demand by 1.5 times.

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    Mute Ronan O' Grady
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    Jul 21st 2018, 1:20 PM

    @Nameless and shameless: thats absolutely hilarious

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Jul 21st 2018, 2:47 PM

    @Nameless and shameless: in that case execute them, problem solved

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    Mute Karl
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    Jul 22nd 2018, 11:30 AM

    @DaisyMay: how would that change anything other than increase their customer base?

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    Mute Joe Jackson
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    Jul 21st 2018, 8:22 AM

    Let them at it… Natural cull

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    Mute Noel_Random
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    Jul 21st 2018, 6:57 AM

    Oh my goodness. But is it a north Dublin or a south Dublin issue? I can’t quite tell from the document above. (Obviously, there’s no east or west in Dublin.)

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    Mute DaisyMay
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    Jul 21st 2018, 7:10 AM

    @Noel_Random: it’s a north Dublin issue. What an odd comment. Where would you say finglas, coolock and ballymun are?

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    Mute SC
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    Jul 21st 2018, 8:57 AM

    It seems like the Gardai know who all the criminals are. Why don’t they put them on trial? They’re harming their own community.

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    Mute john doe
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    Jul 21st 2018, 9:18 AM

    @SC: put them on trial with no proof would be a waste of money. The gards seem like they know but They only report what they are told and it can be considerably wrong.

    People selling booze and taking bets in bookies are also potentially harming the community, should they go on trial too?

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    Mute Ronan O' Grady
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    Jul 21st 2018, 1:24 PM

    @SC: evidence and proof.. with the help of people to stand up in court and say ” it was him” hard thing to do…The Guards must be so frustrated… Their doing a great job while under resourced.

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    Mute Martin Lintzgy
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    Jul 21st 2018, 9:27 AM

    Its such a pity that crimanls are not locked up. Inteead, Tthey are free to go about thier nefarious buisness. If they are ccaught, there is always the broken home sob story, (no doubt perpetuated on their own kids), so snowflake sentencing.
    Tthe me, the purpose locking up these lowlifes is not too punish then, not to edducate and rehabilitate them…
    It it to protect honest hard working people.

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    Mute matt curran
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    Jul 21st 2018, 11:48 AM

    Whats the big problem …just let them at it, one way to get rid of them….

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    Mute John Ryan
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    Jul 21st 2018, 11:39 AM

    Can’t the same laws used to tackle terrorism be used against the gangs mainly having them declared illegal organizations with membership carrying long prison sentences.

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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Jul 21st 2018, 9:46 PM

    Conscription! dont do school/college..straight to the Army/Navy/Aer Corp. That would sort a few of them !

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    Mute Karl
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    Jul 22nd 2018, 11:32 AM

    @GerryCummins: yep, really looking forward to all those new criminals getting professional military training.

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    Mute Seamus Mac
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    Jul 22nd 2018, 1:36 PM

    These guys get the best police protection in the state. The amount of resources & overtime put into this is absolutely ridiculous.

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