Evicted couple stayed in friend’s house last night

Martin Coyne and his wife Violet stayed in a friend's house last night after being evicted from their rented home of 15 years by bailiffs.

The pair are going to see Dublin City Council today to to discuss temporary accommodation options, he said. The pair do not yet have a long term solution to their housing problem.

Mr Coyne (73) said their friends were “kind of full up too but they accommodated us last night” but he said they would “have to try and do something today”.

He was “not very hopeful” ahead of his visit to Dublin City Council today, he told Pat Kenny on Newstalk Radio. Mr Coyne said he had been told he needed to actually be homeless until the council could help them.

His wife Violet (61) was “very low” today, he said. “I feel very sorry for my wife....she is a lovely person, she doesn’t deserve this,” he said. Mr Coyne said this was something he could never have visualised happening to himself and he was “very embarrassed about it”.

Last night about 30 supporters gathered outside the repossessed home, as the pair’s personal belongings were returned to them.

Mr Coyne accepted that he would not be returning to his former Castleknock home. He said there was 40 years of their things in the house that is “private” and that “means a lot” to them. “There’s no old vintage cars ....to anyone else it would only be tuppenceworth,” he said.

The couple tried everywhere to find a new place but rents had doubled and places did not accept rent allowance, he said. The couple is on the housing list but were told they would not have a house for three or four years, he said.

Yesterday Mr Coyne was shoeless and Mrs Coyne was wearing a white and pink dressing gown at court after they were removed from their Castleknock, Dublin home at 7.30am without belongings.

Today Mr Coyne said they “don’t like the limelight or cameras all over the place reporters everywhere”.

During the contempt of court hearing yesterday their barrister argued the eviction by the sheriff was illegal.

“If they did something yesterday that was unlawful why are we out on the road,” Mr Coyne asked today.

ACC Bank sought repossession of the home because the landlord, Daragh Ward, went into receivership in 2012 and they want to sell the house to reduce his debt.

They have a combined weekly income – through Mr Coyne’s State pension – of €363 and are entitled to a rent allowance of €700 a month.

The couple is due in court again on October 7th.