One of Cork's most important figures has said we are living through a famine as food poverty soars and the cost of living spirals out of control.
Hall of Fame awardee Caitriona Twomey of Cork Penny Dinners has said that "when we have the level of food poverty that we have now in this country, there is a famine".
Catriona is the co-ordinator of Cork Penny Dinners, Cork's oldest charitable organisation. She and her volunteers provide thousands of freshly-made meals every week for those in need, Cork Beo reports.
Cork Penny Dinners was established during the Famine in the 1840s and in 2022, their coordinator has said we are living through another.
It was an emotional statement from the usually apolitical woman this week ahead of a cost of living protest planned for many areas across the country on Saturday.
Speaking on Monday on why she is urging the public to come out and protest, Catriona said: "We experienced it before. It's in our history books. What way will this be in another couple of years?
"Will this go into our history books?
"Does the government want this as a legacy, that there's a famine in their country?
"Food poverty is a famine."
She is due to speak again at the protest on Patrick Street in Cork on Saturday, at what protest organisers say could be the largest demonstration in the city in many years.
It has been organised by a broad coalition of campaigners, community groups, charities and opposition parties and politicians including Sinn Fein, Socialist TD Mick Barry, Sinn Fein TD Thomas Gould, Don O'Leary from the Cork Life Centre and ex Debenhams workers.
Earlier this week, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald slammed an "out-of-touch Government" and said: "People are making choices between lighting, heating, or eating,
"It's unthinkable to ask families, to ask workers, to ask whole communities to simply muddle by under the kind of pressure that they're under."
"Whatever your politics, wherever you live, wherever you come from, stand out on Saturday and have your voice heard."
You can find out more about Cork Penny Dinners or donate here.
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
