Lyra and Laura Whitmore lead the line-up at Rock Against Homelessness as crisis hits record high

Homelessness in Ireland has hit a record high. Nearly 12,000 people were living in emergency accommodation in March, the latest figures show.

Event organiser Barry Egan has said it “shouldn’t be up to” musicians, charities like Focus Ireland or its founder, Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, to keep homelessness on the agenda.

Aimée, Toshín, Pastiche, Bobbi Arlo, Isaac Butler, Cat Dowling, Larabel and others will also take to the 3Olympia stage on May 26.

The gig has raised €170,000 for the organisation since 2016,

Mr Egan, a Sunday Independentjournalist, said “the situation for the homeless has only gotten worse” since he first launched Rock Against Homelessness.

He added: "It shouldn't be up to Sister Stan and Focus and singers like Lyra and Aimee and broadcasters like Laura Whitmore to keep the chronic issue of the homeless in Ireland in people's mind.”

He believes the charity founder should be the next president as “she has done more for homeless in Ireland than all our politicians put together”.

“I have been putting this show on in Dublin, and around Ireland, for almost ten years. In that time, the situation for the homeless has only gotten worse.

"That shouldn’t be the case in a so-called modern European country like Ireland. It’s actually a disgrace.

“It makes me ashamed as an Irish person sometimes. We should all, in a way, feel ashamed that this has happened on our watch.”

The all-ages show – curated by Cork star Lyra and with Whitmore on MC duties – plans to raise awareness and funds for the homeless charity.

"You would think in the year 2023 we would be able to provide people with a basic human right, the right to safety and security,” Lyra said.

“But unfortunately, this is not true. Many a night I have walked through the streets seeing people sleeping in doorways trying to protect themselves from the harsh Irish weather and wondered ‘where is the help?’.

This major event also brings hope to people who are homeless as it shows them that people care about them and want to help

"Thank God for charities like Focus Ireland as without them, I fear the worst.“

Past line-ups have included Fontaines DC, Imelda May, The Boomtown Rats, and Dermot Kennedy.

Tickets for the concert, priced at €27, are available from Ticketmaster. Under-14s should be accompanied by an adult.

Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan said the current rates of homelessness in the country is “shocking”.

“It is really shocking to see that homelessness has shot up 30pc in the last year to a new record total of 11,632 and it’s shameful that nearly 3,500 of these are children,” he said.

"Events like Rock Against Homelessness have raised a much-needed €170,000 for Focus since the first concert in 2016. This major event also brings hope to people who are homeless as it shows them that people care about them and want to help.”

TheSunday Independent’s Rock Against Homelessness event is sponsored by Cadbury, Arachas Insurance and Hard Rock Café. It is supported by 2FM.