July 2018:   Damien House opens its doors to those seeking asylum in Ireland. The Damien House Project is an initiative of the Ireland-England Delegatoin, and is adjacent to the Community House at Tanagh, Cootehill. The guests of the house are mainly drawn from those living at the Direct Provision Center (DPC) in Monaghan. The project will provide three main types of outreach: Respite holiday accommodation for families; facilitation of groups and classes from the DPC e.g. men’s group, cookery etc.; and accommodation for those transitioning from the DPC into their own living quarters. Our photos show some of the users of the project meeting with the Damien House Volunteers. Matthew, whose family came from Malawi when he was four months old and who are only now having their asylum application completed, celebrated his fifth birthday at Damien House.