{"id":119650,"date":"2025-11-03T16:43:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T16:43:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/119650\/"},"modified":"2025-11-03T16:43:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T16:43:07","slug":"sr-stan-remembered-by-focus-ireland-cafe-staff-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/119650\/","title":{"rendered":"Sr Stan remembered by Focus Ireland caf\u00e9 staff \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Focus Ireland\u2019s<\/a> coffee shop on Eustace Street, in Dublin\u2019s Temple Bar<\/a>, is a hub of activity before lunchtime on Monday. <\/p>\n

Founded by Sr Stanislaus Kennedy in 1986 as a place for the capital\u2019s \u201chidden homeless\u201d to seek advice and information about finding a home over a cup of coffee, the project soon expanded to include a 365-day cafe with subsidised hot meals under her vision.<\/p>\n

The death of the social justice campaigner<\/a>, affectionately known as Stan, was announced just a few hours before the shop opened its bright yellow doors for business as usual.<\/p>\n

Sr Stan died on Monday morning after a short time at the St Francis Hospice, in Blanchardstown. She was 86.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe gave amazing hugs,\u201d says Val Lynch, taking a momentary break from serving the first arrivals. \u201cYou just can\u2019t describe it.\u201d <\/p>\n

Lynch remembers her as a \u201clovely woman\u201d with a \u201ccalming influence\u201d that commanded respect.<\/p>\n

Lynch and fellow chef Paddy Markey looked forward to the nun\u2019s regular visits to the city centre coffee shop. One visit occurred as recently as September when the charity was celebrating its 40-year anniversary.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a sad day,\u201d says Markey, who has worked for Focus Ireland for 25 years. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe used to come in here on Christmas Day and sit down and talk to the customers … She had a great way of talking to people at their level. She had their voice and Christmas was a special time.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Sr Stanislaus Kennedy: An \u2018intransigent woman\u2019 with an impulse to help those in distressOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\"SrSr Stan died on Monday morning after a short time at the St Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown. Photograph: Gareth Chaney Collins <\/p>\n

The Christmas special, a nut roast, was a Sr Stan favourite, he says. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe was great with politicians, highlighting the homelessness issue. Mary McAleese was in here, David Norris, Michael D [Higgins], Enda Kenny. There have been so many politicians here over the years.\u201d <\/p>\n

In the early 80s, Sr Stan spent one year with a group of eight young women who were homeless, living with them on the top floor of a building that she had rented out on the same street the coffee shop stands today. This research informed her advocacy and campaigning work.<\/p>\n

Focus Ireland catering team leader, Alison Cullen, who has worked with the charity for 23 years also speaks fondly of the founder. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo many of us have been around for a long time. She was our why,\u201d says Cullen, standing at the shop entrance which features a colourful mural with a portrait of the late Sr Stan.<\/p>\n

Sr Stan was revered \u201clike royalty\u201d when she entered, but she would clean the tables and \u201chave the chat\u201d, says Cullen. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Social justice campaigner and Focus Ireland founder Sister Stanislaus Kennedy dies aged 86Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\"FocusFocus Ireland catering team leader Alison Culley says Sr Stan was unafraid to challenge those in positions of power. Photograph: Dara Mac D\u00f3naill\/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n

Tears fill Cullen\u2019s eyes as she reflects on her memories of Sr Stan. Standout, was \u201cher way of always treating people with such dignity\u201d.<\/p>\n

That Sr Stan was unafraid to challenge those in positions of power was another aspect of her legacy that sticks with Cullen: \u201cShe said uncomfortable things, and she kept repeating them until people listened.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cgreat hugs\u201d have also left an impression on her.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, I\u2019ve worked with Stan for the last 11 years and it\u2019s been an absolute privilege,\u201d says chief executive Pat Dennigan, joining Cullen outside. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe was a wonderful person.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Focus Ireland\u2019s coffee shop on Eustace Street, in Dublin\u2019s Temple Bar, is a hub of activity before lunchtime…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":119651,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[615,3663,61,60,43,38702],"class_list":["post-119650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-dublin","tag-homeless-crisis","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news","tag-temple-bar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119650"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119650\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}