Garda on duty after Centrepoint fire in March 2021
Search
08 Jan 2026
Search
08 Jan 2026
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Pictured: Tents erected near Portlaoise train station in November 2024
A Portlaoise based homelessness charity have shared recent heart-wrenching stories of their volunteers responding to Laois locals in need.
Portlaoise Action to Homelessness (PATH) have raised awareness of the work they have done over the Christmas period, and are seeking donations to support their cause.
In December, the Leinster Express / Laois Live reported that homeless figures for Laois have risen 60% since December 2024.
PATH volunteers regularly travel to Dublin City Centre to donate essential sanitary and food products to those sleeping rough on the streets. The charity has announced that while they ceased their Dublin trips over Christmas, they have been busy supporting Laois' homeless community.
Pictured: PATH volunteers in 2024
"Even though we took a break from our Dublin trips we have been working away in the background helping local people in need," a representative said.
"We got a call on New Year's Day to help a young lady in distress in Portlaoise," the representative alleged.
The charity state that they received support on the situation from local gardaí.
"She gratefully accepted a tent, sleeping bag, food and drinks to help her get through the night. Jason from our committee followed up on her the following day too," they said.
"Another member of our committee Catherine Williams got a call on Sunday about a gentleman in need too, and this time the gentleman in question accepted he needed medical care. Catherine then went and got clothes and underwear for him for while he was in there," the representative said.
"These are just two examples of the work we do in the background, even when we are not going to Dublin."
The charity have also raised awareness of a charity fundraiser held in their aid by Adam Duffin.
"He is currently doing a fundraiser for us and is cycling around The Wild Atlantic Way on the west coast of our beautiful country," the charity revealed.
"The icy conditions did not put Adam off. He understands that our homeless friends do not have a choice but to be out in all types of weather. Please support Adam if you can. Every little donation helps," they finished.
PATH will hold a church gate collection at St Peter & Paul’s Church Portlaoise on Wednesday, January 7 at 7pm. They will also accept leftover treats from Christmas, such as unopened sweets, biscuits and cakes.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
