The Stars Are Our Only Warmth

In the 1970s Alice Leahy left nursing to work and live in a Dublin homeless shelter. This is the story of her life and life choices, from an empowering childhood, with free run of a big house estate in Tipperary to her invaluable work with some of Ireland's most marginalised people, at The Alice Leahy Trust, in Dublin. Alice has always been an important voice in the debate around homelessness in Ireland. An insider with an outsider's eye, this is the memoir of an untypical life from a radical humanitarian who has always believed that anything is possible. The Stars Are Our Only Warmth tells powerful truths about Irish life and the people who taught Alice what it is to be alive in this world.

Alice Leahy is Director of Services of the Alice Leahy Trust. She was Co-Founder & Director of TRUST from 1975 - December 2015. The Alice Leahy Trust remains a non-judgemental, befriending, social and health service for people who are homeless. Alice produced with two others 'The Homeless Experience' a training module she co-facilitated for voluntary/community and statutory groups in Dublin. Alice is also an honorary member of Rotary Club Dublin and was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship from The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Alice - a former nurse / midwife - with hospital consultants set up the first Intensive Care Unit of its type in Ireland at the request of the Medical Board at the then Royal City of Dublin Hospital in Baggot Street. Alice is a former human Rights Commissioner, and former chairperson of the Sentence Review Group for prisoners, a contributor to public policy, writer, commentator and lecturer. Currently nominated for an international human rights award.