Dublin's Tree of Hope
By J. P. Anderson

"Attending the funerals of our young people became normal. We began to accept the unacceptable. There was also a feeling of abandonment, as people called out for State support - but none was forthcoming. While the heroin pushers' slept on satin sheets - our young people lay on cold marble slabs. The tree was a gift to brighten the dark days of Winter and also - a symbol of 'hope' and the tree became known as the Tree of Hope'.

Ten years ago(1996), when the tree was first put up, it was a time of anger, isolation and loneliness for many people in our community (Dublin's North-Inner-City).
A shadow had descended on our area - a dark shade of drug dealing. There were lots of deaths from drug-related causes.
Attending the funerals of our young people became normal. We began to accept the unacceptable. Our people were going through the motion (of loss) without the deep grieving that this tragedy of death requires. When people were grieving - it was in private. There was also a feeling of abandonment - as our people called out called out for State support - but none was forthcoming. The open drug dealing and the resulting deaths of our children, made people angry. As the father of an addict said - "While the pushers slept on satin sheets - our young people lay on cold marble slabs".
The only outlet people had for expressing their feelings - was the mass meetings and marches (against drug pushers within communities) that took place, back then. This was an outlet for the expression of public anger - there was no outlet for public grief.

A number of people within our community talked about the need for such grief to be expressed - and for all of those young people who died (from drug related causes) to be remembered. We needed a symbol of hope. The idea then emerged of putting a Christmas Tree' in Buckingham Street - beside Joseph's Mansions - which had become a black spot' for heroin dealing. The then City Manager was written to and the idea explained, he responded generously and embraced the idea.
It may now be difficult to believe, but there was a fear that the tree' would be attacked or even pulled down.
The anti-drugs people who were manning a hut which was erected at this very corner - were asked to mind the tree' 24 hours a day. They agreed to do this - but our fears were needless, as people took to the tree - for what it was meant to be, - a gift to brighten the dark days of winter and also a symbol

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