About us

Our Goals

Our main goal is to welcome, resettle and support a family seeking refuge from war and enable them to build a new life in Dublin 8. We will be adaptable to the family’s needs at all times but will focus initially on the following specific actions to support the family in their new life here:

Fundraising (minimum of €10,000) to support our goal
Identifying accommodation for the family
Co-ordinating access to the State’s Social Protection services
Co-ordinating access to Health Services
Co-ordinating access to the Education System for children and other training e.g. English Language
Providing any practical and logistical support to the family
Navigating cross cultural adaptation challenges throughout the integration journey
Assisting in any other way to welcome the family to our community

Information Video

In September 2020 we held a virtual information evening to let people know more about Community Sponsorship and our Project here in Dublin 8. We had members of our group, people who have been sponsored to resettle to Ireland, and members of groups which have already completed the process and are now helping to support families here in Ireland.

Weaver Park

By William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland -

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Weaver Park

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Our Committee

Rebecca

Rebecca is a Managing Solicitor at Mercy Law Resource Centre, providing free legal advice and representation to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. She previously worked in the area of asylum and immigration.

"I'm in this for kindness and openness. To see Dublin 8 change a family's life for the better"

Niamh

I have lived in the Liberties for the last 15 years, in Ardree St and now in Maryland. I am always interested to meet new friends and I look forward to welcoming a new refugee family to our Dublin 8 Community.

In 2018, I hosted a Syrian man to live in my home for a year and a half through a Red Cross program, and found the experience to be one of the most fun and meaningful things I have undertaken. It was an amazing opportunity to learn about another culture and I made so many friends through that program, including new arrivals from Syria and Iraq, and other hosts across the country. We found Dublin 8 to be a very welcoming community and I have been looking for opportunities to assist refugee families in their integration journey. The Community Sponsorship Ireland program has been very successful in it's pilot stages and I hope that we can make this a successful community initiative in Dublin 8.

Niamh is an Advanced Analytics & Optimisation Consultant, Privacy Advocate
She runs her own business Holistic Analytics & works on advanced Analytics & Optimisation implementations

Trevor

Trevor is an urban planner working for Green-Schools in the Liberties area of D8. He has volunteered for many years supporting migrants in Ireland and abroad for and recently completed a MA in Refugee Integration in DCU.

" I am a ‘Dubliner’ who has been living on Cork St for four years. I joined D8 RCS because I want to be part of our communities expression of hospitality to migrants. I’m looking forward to sharing our culture with the resettled family and learning the Arabic language, music and food"

Oluchi

Oluchi works for Oxfam Ireland, supporting programme management of international humanitarian projects.

" I joined the D8 Community Sponsorship group to open up a safe pathway for a family in need of International Protection to come to Ireland. I am very proud to live in D8, an already multicultural community, and we welcome the diversity and great contributions that people from migrant backgrounds bring to our area. I hope that our group can pave the way for future communities to come together and sponsor more families"

Adele

Adele works as a Senior Social Worker in the Mental Health Services. She has been a Dublin 8 resident for 21 years.

"Being involved with D8RCS is a chance to do something helpful in the face of such a staggering crisis."

Karen

Karen is the Artistic Director at St. Patrick’s Festival.

As a Dublin 8 resident, I want to support my community and as part of this campaign support a new family coming to join us. We all have the power to change a life for the better, and I was delighted to join this magnificent group of people who are coming together to use their individual skills in a positive way.

Kelley

Kelley Bermingham was educated in D8, lived in the area for a short time, and a long history steeped in community work through roles – both paid and voluntary, all her life. Principally Saint Patrick’s Cathedral (2017-2020) and more recently Community Consultant with The Iveagh Trust. Co-creator of LoveD8 and passionate about social justice.

John

John works for Sophia Housing as projects Manager focussed on working on long term solutions to homelessness that work.

" I want to be part of something positive in my community that makes a difference"