Comic makes stand for the homeless with in-store gig

AN Irish comic held a comedy gig at a local charity shore, after being shocked by the number of homeless people in the Capital.

Sean Hegarty, who is hoping to become a world record holder for telling the most one-line gags in an hour, caught a glimpse of destitution in Holyrood Park, spotting a homeless man sleeping rough.

The sight compelled him to help ease the plight of the Capital's vagrants.

The rising star, who has a show on the Edinburgh Free Fringe, hails from a small rural community in Northern Ireland where homelessness is almost unheard of and such a realisation came as a real shock.

The big-hearted father-of-three was deeply affected by the plight of the city's homeless after just a few days here.

"When I saw this guy sleeping on the ground in Holyrood Park it was the first time I had seen someone sleeping rough," he said.

"When I walked around some bits of Edinburgh there seems to be a homeless person on every corner. I just wanted to help as much as I could and so started collecting for Shelter Scotland at my shows."

His fundraising efforts culminated with a stand-up performance in its Forrest Road branch on Friday, attracting more than a dozen fans.

Asked how he felt the unique charity gig went, he said: "It was one of the more surreal shows I have done. But they say you need 1000 gigs before you start to get anywhere in this business and I was happy to do my bit for the charity."

Shelter Scotland provides housing advice, support for homeless families and assistance for rural communities.

"I thought all that was in the past and that there were no more homeless people any more," said Mr Hegarty, who writes jokes in his spare time when not working in a nursing home for disabled adults in his hometown of Lurgan.

"No-one should be homeless.

"It scares me to get out bed and go to the toilet in the middle of the night . . . and that's in my own home," he said. "So I can't imagine homelessness. That's why many of them must sleep during the day, because they're too scared to close their eyes at night."

Combined with the regular charity collections at his daily show at Cafe Renroc on Montgomery Street, Mr Hegarty has raised more than 120.

Gordon MacRae, head of communications and policy at Shelter Scotland, said he was "delighted" by the comic's commitment to the charity adding it was a "real boost".

"It will help us to deliver more support and advice for people in Edinburgh struggling to find a home," he said.

"The funds Sean has collected will help us to continue to work towards ending homelessness and we want to say a big thank you to him. We really appreciate his support and all funds raised will go towards our work to help people facing homelessness or encountering housing issues."