Jack (41), from Co Mayo is one of our less successful returned emigrants. Until recently an odd-job worker in London, he came back to Ireland "about a year ago". Yesterday afternoon saw him begging in Dublin's Exchequer Street. "I went over to England, oh, years ago, doing petty jobs but I wasn't really doing too well and came back," he explained.
"I did go to the hostels first, because I had no money or nothing. But they're all needles [drugs] and I'm not into that. And your stuff gets robbed."
So he sleeps with up to 10 homeless people behind the Shelbourne Hotel on St Stephen's Green.
"No, not in it," he said, laughing. "It's not so warm back there but at least the rain doesn't get at you."
Pulling a grubby yellow blanket up around his knees, he said he had four brothers and sisters somewhere. They were settled and married, but he wasn't sure if they knew about his situation.
"Probably, maybe they do."
When he came back, he had no friends in Dublin and he didn't want to ask his family for help. Today, however, he has "a lot of friends" on the streets. During the 20 minutes or so we chatted, several people dropped coins into the paper cup grasped before him.
One man passed jiggling change in his palm, stopped and then returned.
"I hope you're looking after my friend," he smiled, dropping the change in the cup.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he added, winking at Jack.
"I do get a few bob. God looks after me," commented Jack.
Every day at 3.30 p.m., he goes to the men's hostel in York Street run by the Salvation Army, where he can get a hot meal for about £2. He gets soup, sandwiches and tea from Simon Community outreach workers every night and clothing from second-hand shops.
But these can do nothing about the cold. "There's no heat in the outdoors . . . I do get depressed, but you have to ignore it or accept it," he shrugged, adding that he expected "eventually" to have a place of his own.
Asked whether he regretted coming back from England, he shook his head.
"No, I wasn't happy in London. And, you know, home is where the heart is."
