Photographs capture Christmas morning for the homeless in Belfast city centre

While most of Northern Ireland was still asleep, or waking up in a warm house to presents and festive happiness, a photographer was out and about in central Belfast.
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Dec 2019, 23:57 BST
Updated 28th Dec 2019, 15:07 BST
A deserted Donegall Place in Belfast on Christmas morning, one of a series of five photographs taken between 7 and 9am, seeking out homelessness. By David McConnell dtmccphotographyA deserted Donegall Place in Belfast on Christmas morning, one of a series of five photographs taken between 7 and 9am, seeking out homelessness. By David McConnell dtmccphotography
A deserted Donegall Place in Belfast on Christmas morning, one of a series of five photographs taken between 7 and 9am, seeking out homelessness. By David McConnell dtmccphotography

David McConnell went looking for homelessness in the heart of Belfast on December 25.

Between 7am and 9am he snapped a series of images to capture their plight.

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“This is maybe the last couple of homeless,” he said of the two people he found sleeping out. Then he added: “Put it this way, it was the only two I could find in the city centre and Belfast City Hall under a new dawn, the last December 25 dawn of the twenty teens.”

One of two homeless people sleeping in Belfast city centre before dawn on December 25. By David McConnell dtmccphotographyOne of two homeless people sleeping in Belfast city centre before dawn on December 25. By David McConnell dtmccphotography
One of two homeless people sleeping in Belfast city centre before dawn on December 25. By David McConnell dtmccphotography

Mr McConnell said: “Two of the photographs clearly show homeless people sleeping on the street, and please note you can not see who they are, just a rough idea where they were on the night of December 24/25.”

Of the other two photographs, one shows where a person was sleeping and the other appears to show where someone put their sleeping bag into a public phone box, perhaps to keep it dry.

Mr McConnell also took a pre-dawn photograph of a deserted Donegall Place, looking towards Belfast City Hall (pictured top) ahead of what was a sunny start to Christmas Day in Belfast.

Related topics:BelfastNorthern Ireland