‘Stress of the last 18 months has caught up with me’, says last resident of Tathony House in Dublin

James O’Toole and Madeleine Johansson were due to be evicted on July 25 and faced the prospect of living separately in emergency accommodation.

However, after 18 months of stress and campaigning alongside fellow residents, they have now been offered a choice based letting property by Dublin City Council.

“We were three weeks away from the end. There were two other tenants, but one is leaving this weekend, and the other is leaving on June 4,” Mr O’Toole told the Irish Independent.

“From this weekend, we’re the only people living in the flats, there’s 33 empty apartments.

“When the place was full and the eviction struggle began, our main thought was to defend the other tenants and ourselves and challenge the eviction.

“But then it became clear we’d soon be the last ones left, particularly after the flood earlier in the year.

“The people that remained were saying they just wanted to get out here, and didn’t want to fight to stay in a building that was falling apart.

“Once it became clear that we were going to be the last ones here, we applied for choice based letting where the Council advertises properties and if you’re on the housing list you can apply.

“We started applying because 15 years on the housing and the valid eviction notice for July 25 adds a bit of urgency to it.

“It’s such mixed emotions though, because I was delighted to get a lifeline and get out of here, particularly with the building deteriorating since the floods in the winter.

“It’s creepy and weird being the last people in the building,” James added.

“On Sunday night, the rain was coming in the inside of our kitchen window and I’d to put two buckets down which were filled with the rain.

“I thought to myself, I’m glad I’m getting out of here. The constant adrenaline and stress of the last 18 months has caught up with me.

“I almost didn’t allow myself to give in. We’ve been protesting once a month for 18 months. It’s hit me now, how tired I am after all of this.

“It makes me think that housing is so vital to your mental and physical well-being. Once you get the call that says you’ve got a council flat and your rent will be 15pc of your income, you’ve just got that stability.

“More people should be getting this lifeline. The amount of people who are crucified paying rent.

“In my diary, I wrote down the countdown to the eviction and to start contacting TDs and counsellors. It was so satisfying to put an X through all those diary entries.

“We’ve been through so much stress that the whole thing still feels a bit surreal.”