A tent under Wolfe Tone's statue, and the funds that own the hotels across the road

Transcript

00:00

Hi everyone

Hi everyone. It's often said that a picture paints a thousand words. Well, here I am at the corner of St. Stephen's Green in Dublin City. And you can see a tent just there, just behind the statue of Wolfe Tone. And somebody's sleeping on the streets under the statue of Wolfe Tone. He struggled for equality amongst our citizens. Whether they're Protestant, Catholic, or dissenter.

So much for equality in our society. You see more and more people being forced onto the streets. More and more people dying on the streets, and particularly around Dublin. And at the same time, so much wealth in Ireland. Just here, we have a restaurant here called the Grayson. This lovely Georgian townhouse that was built around 1745. A starter there would set you back around 14 euro just for a starter.

Never mind a full meal. And just across there we see the Shelbourne Hotel, five-star hotel. That was bought by the Archer Group. The Hotel Capital Group for over 250 million euro in 2024. Now, a room there would set you back up to around 2,000 euro a night in that five-star hotel. There are 265 rooms there.

And it was sold by a vulture fund, famous vulture fund, Kennedy Wilson back in 2024. And they understand that they purchased it back in 2014 for 110 million from the previous owners who were in receivership. There we go. Hoover up and fold your profits for Ireland where people struggle and die on the streets as money gets funneled out of Ireland. Now, that company Archer Capital is interesting because it's owned by a company called a fund that's through APG Asset.

Management and uh GIC is another company as well that it's funded through. Now, APG Asset Management are also very interesting because they're a pension fund. Work for pension funds such as the Dutch civil pension fund. So, those workers, teachers, civil service staff, public sector workers in Holland are profiting from the hotel there making massive windfalls for those asset managers.

02:46

And also the Singapore Sovereign Wealth Fund as well

And also the Singapore Sovereign Wealth Fund as well are making money from that also. So, money that's comes into Ireland is funneled out of Ireland through these other vehicles. And maybe those who are staying in Ireland are enriching those who own these companies such as the Grayson behind me here. And where people suffer and struggle and die on the streets directly due to these policies that support private capital and look after their interests.

“And also the Singapore Sovereign Wealth Fund as well are making money from that also”

It's actually capital at the expense of working people. We saw the same what happened during the bank bailouts where the Troika came into Ireland and ordered Ireland essentially to stop building public housing and open the road to the vulture funds like Kennedy Wilson who previously owned the Shelbourne Hotel. Here who profit from the housing disaster with so many apartments such as uh Capital Dock if people know along the Quays of Liffey and Dublin. One of the.

Tallest buildings in Dublin. That is owned by Kennedy Wilson as well, who are based in Beverly Hills real estate investment trust that pay very little tax or next to no tax in our society. All down to those 95 meetings that were held between the Irish government Minister of Finance at the time, Michael Noonan, and Enda Kenny, who said Ireland was best with a country to do business in. And yet, the fallout is still apparent today. And interestingly enough, when.

The Troika came to town, they stayed in another five-star hotel. The negotiators, or more like the main guys pushing the neoliberal agenda, came into Ireland. And they were staying in a five-star hotel just around the corner, the Merrion Hotel. Interesting, isn't it? So, this is who they work for while the sharpest end people are suffering and struggling on the streets. And so many are dying on the streets without a home to call their own because of the extortionate.

Rental costs and housing costs, accommodation costs in Ireland. All of the international capital in Ireland and those at the very top of this corrupt system make massive windfalls. So, always have a look around. This is a snapshot of Dublin 2026. Absolutely outrageous. So, thanks for the support of my videos and uh thanks for sharing them as well. So, it's longer follow. Take care.

A tent under Wolfe Tone's statue, and the funds that own the hotels across the road.

Dooley films from the corner of St. Stephen's Green in Dublin, where a tent stands behind the statue of Wolfe Tone and somebody is sleeping rough underneath it. He sets that against the money on the same street: the Grayson, a Georgian townhouse from around 1745 where he says a starter costs about 14 euro, and the five-star Shelbourne Hotel opposite, 265 rooms, up to around 2,000 euro a night. He traces the Shelbourne's ownership from the vulture fund Kennedy Wilson, which he says bought it in 2014 for 110 million euro from owners in receivership, to the Archer Group, which he says paid over 250 million euro for it in 2024 with funding through APG Asset Management and GIC. Because APG works for pension funds including the Dutch civil pension fund, he argues Dutch public sector workers and the Singapore sovereign wealth fund now take a return out of Dublin. His charge is that money comes into Ireland and is funnelled back out while people die on the streets a few metres away.