Irish family's Christmas heartbreak as they face spending festive season on the streets

A desperate family-of-six from Belfast is staring down a grim Christmas, fraught with the fear of homelessness. Kathleen Mongans, Brendan Francis Quinn, and their four kids have been given less than three weeks to vacate their current home.

Their appeal against the council's decision hit a dead end—meaning they might end up on the streets, or worse, face separation.

Kathleen shared her deepest anxieties: "My greatest fear in life is something I can barely even say and it's all I think about. I'm constantly scared about whether my children will get removed from me if we become homeless and I simply can't live without my children. That would destroy me, it would destroy us all as a family. I've already had a breakdown and I just know I can't go on like this."

READ MORE - Harry and Meghan admit 'we are at a crossroads' in sombre statement

READ MORE - Woman marries ex who forgot they broke up day before he suffered concussion

The family sought refuge in Sefton, Merseyside after Brendan received death threats back in April. Kathleen is convinced that a return to Northern Ireland poses a grave danger to their lives.

Declaring themselves homeless upon arrival, Sefton Council provided temporary lodging while assessing their need for housing and looking into the circumstances of their move. The children have integrated into local schools, states Kathleen, reports the Mirror.

Nonetheless, following discussions with Belfast officials, Sefton Council determined that the threat level does not warrant further housing assistance, leaving the family in limbo.

Kathleen shared: "We fled from violence. We cannot go back to Belfast as my partner will be shot and that's the threat we're living under. In Belfast, they don't come knocking on your door in the middle of the day and announce they're going to hurt you. We were threatened so we packed up and left and didn't look back. Brendan's dad passed away two weeks ago after battling cancer and he couldn't even go back for his funeral.

"We're being told to go back to Belfast, but that's like signing our own death warrant... We've got no family members that can help us with that. We've tried every avenue that we could think of. We need help and we're pleading to anyone out there who can help us in this situation. All I want is for our family to be kept together."

When asked about why they had to leave Belfast so suddenly, Kathleen revealed: "We were told Brendan would be shot and killed and that there's a price on his head... We are Catholics and we are also Travellers, but we were moved into an area in Belfast where we were told we are not welcome. We couldn't go to police, we couldn't go to anyone."

Claims that Brendan's life was in danger were supported by a Belfast City Council officer who had previously worked with the family. The local authority's news service obtained a letter from the official, which was sent to Sefton Council backing up the family's case, according to the Liverpool Echo.

The document laid out the harassment they faced as Catholics and Traveller community members, cautioning with a bleak message: "Kathleen told me that they had been threatened to get out, if the warning is ignored an imminent attack will happen."

It also underscored that this wasn't their first time having to move due to threats. Yet, after thorough investigation, the ECHO saw a letter from Sefton Council concluding their probe.

Despite consulting various housing authorities and PSNI and evaluating notes from a Belfast City Council officer, the council firmly contended: "[We] have been unable to find any evidence that supports your claims that you were fleeing violence from your previous address in Belfast [...or] there was any significant risk to you or any of your family members."

Kathleen Mongans with her partner Brendan Francis Quinn.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)





Kathleen Mongans at home in Litherland
(Image: Liverpool Echo)

In a review note from Belfast Local Authority Housing Directorate, they insisted on the safety of the family's return to Belfast, describing the fear as 'perceived risk'. The statement read: "[the Belfast city council worker] did not witness anything [...] but that the locals do not like outsiders [and] was unable to give any direct accounts of what [they] believed had occurred."

What's more, the decision letter highlighted: "Further inquiries were conducted and [the Belfast City Council officer] was unable to provide any evidence that you were at risk."

A spokesperson for Sefton Council mentioned, "While we can't comment on individual circumstances, as with all homelessness applications, the council discharges its statutory duties as defined in homelessness legislation to ensure that everyone is treated fairly."

They also suggested, "Households that find themselves in circumstances where their accommodation is, or has, become insecure should contact the local authority as soon as possible. Details can be found on our website."

Read all the latest headlines and breaking news on our homepage.