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A man who spent years homeless while struggling with addiction will represent Ireland at the Homeless World Cup in South Korea later this month.
Brendan, who spent time sleeping rough in Dublin city centre and in Tallaght, says that at one point in his life, he had “given up”.
“I was physically and mentally broken, I’d given up. I used to pray to my brother who died, ‘please just get me, just take me’,” he says.
With help from his two sisters, Brendan got into treatment, and started his recovery journey with Merchant’s Quay Ireland, a charity that supports homeless people and those suffering with addiction.
Brendan then joined The Irish Homeless Street Leagues, an organisation that brings underprivileged and socially-excluded people together through football. The organisation operates 10 leagues throughout the country.
“We had trials recently and they picked four of us to go to the Homeless World Cup in South Korea,” Brendan says. “Once you stay drug-fee, anything in life is possible, I’m living proof of that. I gave up on myself, but my family never gave up on me.
“Now, I have a job, I have an incredible support network around me and I’m very grateful for that.”
The Homeless World Cup is an annual tournament that brings together grassroots organisations using football “to tackle homelessness and social isolation”. This year’s competition in Seoul marks the first time the tournament will be held in Asia, and will see 64 teams from 49 nations participate.
Carol Casey, head of communications and fundraising at Merchant’s Quay Ireland, said that Brendan’s story “highlights that there is always hope”.
“We are constantly in awe of the resilience of our clients and the adversities they overcome to become drug free.
“Recovery from addiction is a long road, a huge achievement and should be celebrated. We are very proud of Brendan and all he has achieved. We wish him and the Irish team every success in South Korea,” she added.
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