“I know brilliant, capable, intelligent people who ended up on the streets": Cat Dowling says ahead of Rock Against Homelessness gig in Cork

Irish indie-pop musician Cat Dowling is on the bill to play Cork's Rock Against Homelessness set on August 19th in aid of Focus Ireland, organised by the Sunday Independent.

It will mark Cat's sixth fundraising gig for the homeless charity this year following outings in Dublin, Dundalk, Gorey, Sligo and Limerick. The talent recently dropped a new album this year, titled Animals.

Dowling has fronted numerous music projects in her time, the last of which was Babelfish - which quickly morphed into the more successful electro/dream-pop band, Alphastates.

The Ballycotton gig will see Dowling supported by First Class Coach and The Burma. Speaking to the Independent.ie today, the performer spoke candidly about the tough spirit of the growing number of people experiencing homelessness in Ireland.

“I know very brilliant, capable, highly intelligent people who have ended up on the streets. I knew a nurse sadly died on the streets. There is a fine line between the rise and the demise,” she remarked.

The cause is extremely close to the Kilkenny-raised singer-songwriter's heart, unsurprisingly.

"There are so many amazing people in Ireland who do incredible work for the homeless. They look for no badges. These are the real unsung heroes. Nobody knows anyone else’s story. There are so many vacant homes in Ireland. We must address this. We must reframe how we think of the homeless crisis. We can find a solution.

"There are many layers to it," she added. "Homelessness and mental health go hand in hand. It takes a really tough spirit to survive the streets and to have no home. We all deserve dignity.”

Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan emphasised that the temporary ban on evictions introduced during the pandemic is over, while the number of job losses due to Covid-19 is expected to soar. Both of those elements will inevitably factor into the rise in homelessness this year

“The support we get from these events is amazing and vital to our work. We need this help now more than ever as there are over 10,300 people homeless and shockingly the number of children homeless has shot up 41pc in the last year,” Dennigan told the Independent.ie.

“‘Focus Ireland needs to raise nearly 40pc of our annual budget through events like Artists Against Homelessness so we really need people to support these nationwide gigs.

"They are going to be great and will help raise awareness of the issues and give a voice to people who are homeless and others we have helped to secure a home to tell some of their own stories and show it is possible to end homelessness."

Tickets are available at the door and online.