His Mother Was Homeless and Addicted, Now He Saves People on the Same Streets - Brandon O’Connor

He's 23 and Has Spent Years on Dublin's Streets Helping
the Homeless — Not Because It's His Job, But Because He Chose
To.


Everyone has walked past someone sleeping rough. Most of us
glance, wonder, and keep walking. Brandon O'Connor spends his
nights sitting beside those people — hearing their stories and
watching addiction, trauma, kindness and hope all exist on the
same street.


Brandon founded Dublin Homeless Awareness at just 16, as a
transition year school project. Years later, his team run
first-aid patrols, missing-person searches, river-safety patrols
and mental health interventions across the city. In this episode,
Ryan sits down with him for an honest, eye-opening conversation
about what really happens on Dublin's streets — and what needs to
change.


What we get into:


Why most people develop addictions after becoming homeless,
not before

How Dublin Homeless Awareness started as a school project and
grew into a frontline service

The reality of night patrols: overdoses, mental health crises
and river rescues

The systemic gaps that leave people with nowhere to go

Why homelessness can happen to almost anyone — including
nurses, guards and charity workers

Brandon's own story: growing up with a mother who was
homeless and addicted

What frontline work does to your own mental health, and how
the team protects each other

The small acts of kindness that people never forget

What every one of us can do differently when we walk past
someone sleeping rough



Ryan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from
the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos
exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into
hard-earned wisdom worth sharing.


Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis


To support or report a concern, find Dublin Homeless Awareness on
Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.


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