RTE radio listeners offer woman thousands of euro to stop family home being repossessed

An upsetting interview on radio this week has resulted in a happy ending.

RTE radio listeners offer woman thousands of euro to stop family home being repossessed

A woman spoke anonymously to Brian O'Connell at the repossession courts for RTE Radio 1 on Monday.

As you can imagine the stress at the courts is normally high, but in the run-up to Christmas it was especially so.

Brian, during his broadcast on Today with Sean O'Rourke, wanted to focus on one particular woman who was visibly upset about the fight for her family home.

In the course of the interview (below), she said: "I don't have any Christmas decorations up; I don't have any shopping done... you can't think of anything else when this is going on."

Her children don't know that the family are in this situation, her arrears on the house are close to €30,000, and she told Brian that the stress is unbearable.

She said: "You talk to people, you pretend everything is normal, but nothing is. My youngest said the other day, he has a bunch of change for a collection for Focus, and he said 'Mum, at least we'll help some homeless person', and I'm actually thinking that could be you.

"Nobody lives under this stress, I'll tell you something, I can feel my whole body crumbling."

However, following Monday's report there was a huge response from listeners offering to help.

Brian spoke to her last night just after she got a phone call from someone offering €10,000.

She said: "I cannot believe the reaction to this. I have just spoken to a woman who wants to pay off a substantial amount of the arrears on my house. What amazes me is people's generosity.

It seems the report really struck a chord with other listeners since a further €5,000 was donated by them to help her out.

"I feel I've actually got a chance for the first time in years... thank you so much and please know that what you have done... I feel like I'm walking taller again."

The audio clip below repeats Monday's original interview, so you can listen to the update at around three minutes and 30 seconds into it.

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