Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen - Homes

Homes

During the late 1980s Ireland experienced a severe shortage of accommodation for less fortunate people and this was reflected in no small part in the Defence Community where a substantial number of Ex-Servicemen were living rough on the streets of Ireland’s cities. During the winter of 1988/9 up to seven people died on the streets of Dublin through hypothermia among them were ex-servicemen. A small group of men who were members of the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women banded together under the leadership of Mr. Pat Dunleavy to raise awareness among members of the Defence Community and to raise funding for a soldier’s home. In 1991 the planning reached a critical stage and with a concrete strategy in place building works commenced and were brought to fruition in 1994 when the then President Mrs. Mary Robinson opened the newly built 20 bedroom home called Brú na bhFiann, liberally translated from Gaelic as ‘Home of the Brave’.

Since 1994 over five hundred ex-servicemen have been accommodated in the charity's homes throughout Ireland and many have moved on to independent living. From January 2002 to March 2005 Brú na bhFiann was temporarily located in Leeson Bridge House, Leeson Street Upper, Dublin. During this time ONET housed twenty four ex-servicemen and commenced provision of B&B style accommodation for serving and retired members of the Defence Forces and their families. This was seen as an integral part of ONET's strategy of integration with the Defence Forces. In March 2005 the residents and staff of Brú na bhFiann, the National HQ and all of ONET's records moved to the newly built Brú na bhFiann located in the redeveloped Smithfield Market complex.