Students from St Brigid's Presentation Secondary School in Killarney, staged a sponsored sleep in at the school on Friday night last.

By Sean Moriarty

A talk by Ronan Doherty of Knocklee House Homeless Accommodation in Tralee inspired Transition Year students to take action and raise awareness.

Last Friday night, the students in St Brigid's Presentation Secondary School in Killarney, staged a sponsored sleep in at the school after a recent visit by Mr Doherty, who told the students that there was 104 adults and 57 children homeless in County Kerry.

“These figures startled them into action,” teacher Peggy Dowling said. “The Transition Year students are participating in the Young St Vincent De Paul Programme and have decided to focus on the social justice issue of homelessness, which is so prevalent in our society. The students felt that there was a great deal of information and media coverage about homelessness in big cities, for example Dublin and Cork, but that people didn't realise how it affects individuals and families in Kerry also.”

The proceeds of this sleep in will be divided between St Vincent De Paul and Knocklee House Homeless Accommodation.