Many attend service for formerly homeless woman

A significant number of individuals gathered at Roselawn Cemetery for the committal service of a woman who had previously experienced homelessness and passed away without any known family members. Ann Hillman resided in central Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter for several years before being relocated by police in 2018 to Moat Park in Dundonald, where she slept beneath a tree. Characterized as a “quiet and discreet” individual, she spent her final years at Hollygate Lodge Care Home in Carryduff. Attendees who had no prior acquaintance with her came to the funeral following an appeal issued by the care home staff. “Anne’s story was complex, broken and something of a mystery to almost all of us here” stated the Reverend Steve Ames, who officiated the service. “To many people, Ann was nobody. Just another invisible statistic of homelessness.”Today, she is every one of the 55,000 souls in Northern Ireland who have no place to call home.”Today, she is every life that didn’t go according to plan, every powerless person on the margins struggling to find a way in”. As attendees departed, the care home staff conversed near the exit, recounting their experiences caring for Ms Hillman. “We wouldn’t ask too much about her being homeless but we’d sometimes ask her about her life, and she wouldn’t say much” remarked Claire McKechnie. They informed BBC News NI that Ms Hillman often slept in her chair, a habit developed from years spent leaning against a wall and later a tree in Moat Park. “I got her into bed once and she stayed there for a couple of hours,” Jane Singleton commented. “I came back later and she was in the chair again and she just said ‘I’m more comfortable here’.” The carers at Hollygate mentioned that Ms Hillman had a fondness for Christmas and would play festive music throughout the year. They emphasized the importance of acknowledging this, particularly given the current season. The order of service included the lyrics from The Pogues’ classic “Fairytale of New York.” One attendee, Mark, described it as a “poignant reminder that Christmas isn’t always a great time for everyone.” Ms Hillman gained public attention in 2018 when Belfast authorities moved her from the Cathedral Quarter in advance of that year’s Culture Night. She subsequently remained in Moat Park until the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.