15th anniversary of Tiglin hosted by RTE broadcaster Oliver Callan

Tiglin recently celebrated its 15th anniversary with a special event at the Salesforce Tower, hosted by Oliver Callan. 

Over 150 people attended, sharing reflections on Tiglin’s journey and hearing stories from those whose lives have been changed by the organisation.

Founded in 2008 by Aubrey McCarthy and Phil Thompson, Tiglin began with the purchase of the former Mountaineering Centre on a forestry reserve above Ashford Town. Surrounded by hectares of Coillte mixed forestry, the rehabilitation centre offers a peaceful environment for
recovery.

Co-founder Aubrey McCarthy shared, “Having experienced addiction within my family, we started this centre to reduce the impact of addiction on families and homelessness. It was a challenging journey, but many generous people supported us, and
we are deeply grateful to them.”

Building on their success, Tiglin opened a women’s centre based on the same model. In 2010, with the help of Wicklow County Council, Tiglin became an approved housing body.

Today, the organisation provides supported housing for men and women in recovery, young adults, and displaced families, along with upskilling and education opportunities to help them exit homelessness and reintegrate into society.

Oliver Callan praised Tiglin’s work, saying, “We give far too much attention to the bad things about ourselves. Tiglin is a place that reminds us to focus on the goodness and good people of Dublin and Ireland. The decent men and women who have passed the Tiglin torch and spirit to the next man and the next woman - this relay rally of kindness, friendship and helping citizens in crisis towards independence. “

CEO and co-founder Phil Thompson emphasized the importance of stable housing and community support in rebuilding lives. “We realized people needed more than temporary solutions. That’s why we started engaging with the homeless through our mobile café, No Buck’s Café. Over the years, we became an approved housing body and collaborated with
the Ministry of Education and Social Protection to offer employment programmes.

Tiglin is also at the frontline of the rough sleeping crisis through their homeless café Tiglin at the Lighthouse. Chairman Aubrey McCarthy explains, “Despite the building being too small, we continue to meet the needs of those who come to our café asking for help. In 2023, we served over 120,000 hot meals. We hope that something more suitable will soon become
available. “