MY HERO is Alice Leahy, cofounder of TRUST, because she has dedicated her life to working with the homeless, who are the poorest of the poor, and the lowest in our society in terms of social status.

Alice is from Tipperary, like myself, which is another connection, and she won the Tipperary Person of the Year award in 2004 for her wonderful work with people who are homeless and broken. She started off her working life as a nurse and midwife, but left the profession in 1973 to join the voluntary sector with the Simon Community. Her mother was a very active person in the community, and was instrumental in founding some of the local market movements, so I think that was an influence on Alice.

When she was working as a midwife, I think Alice became very much aware that some people didn't get a fair crack of the whip, and there were serious injustices in our society. That encouraged and motivated her to become involved in that side of life, and she became very aware through the Simon Community, that homelessness was a very serious issue.

She came up with the idea of establishing TRUST in 1975, which is a nonjudgemental, befriending, social and health drop-in centre service for people who are homeless.

The respect that the homeless community has for Alice is a clear indication of how dedicated she is, and I have witnessed first-hand the marvellous relationship they have with her, and how she treats them with such dignity. She and her small group of workers have provided a wonderful service to a very unpredictable number of people every day for the past 32 years, because it could be 10 calling in one day and 40 the next, to receive food, clothing, a shower, medical treatment, and friendship.

My other heroes are fantastic people like Fr Peter McVerry, Sister Stanislaus and Sister Caoimh�n in Ballyfermot, who all do wonderful work. The difference is that I guess what they do for the poor is part of their religious vocation, but Alice is a married, lay person who has dedicated her life to the serving of the poor, and caring for those who are voiceless.

I think Alice is a great example to everybody, because she doesn't just confine herself to the delivery of service, but being a campaigner for social justice and an agitator for change is a really important part of her work. She's also an educator, which is another powerful element of her whole being, and has been very pro-active in writing books and articles in the paper, and producing videos that are mainly focused on children in education, making them aware of homelessness, and how it is an issue that impinges on everybody in society.

Alice and I have a long connection, because she has served in the context of prisons as well. She was the chairperson of the Sentence Review Group prior to the Parole Board coming into place - this was a group that was set up to advise the Minister for Justice on the release of longterm prisoners. My work overlaps with Alice's at times, as, unfortunately, homelessness is a major factor for some of those who end up in prison. A very significant number of prisoners come into the category of 'homeless' and in the women's prison it can be up to 20% of the population, for example, so Alice and I would often cross paths.

There's a connection between imprisonment, and those who are broken, disjointed and disconnected. Alice is a regular visitor to those who have been homeless and end up in prison, and she keeps in regular contact with those she knows and has served through her work.

Part of her philosophy is that you don't forget about people just because they get into difficulty and end up in prison.

Alice is a very outgoing person in her own way, and has a great personality. I think she and her husband Charlie make a fantastic team, and she's a fanatical hurling supporter, being from Tipperary.

She's very kind and sensitive, and you could easily be taken in by her and think that she might be too soft and kind, but there's an element of steel running through her. She won't give up when she is fighting for social justice, and she has great courage and determination. I have huge respect for her because while she's a people's person, she has that resolve that drives her, and she doesn't give up.

She's not interested in popularity, and is a thorn in the side of the Establishment, right, left and centre, because she's always out there challenging them about what they are doing for those in need. Alice reminds me of the bishop in Brazil, who said, "When I feed the hungry, I'm called a saint, but when I question why we have hungry people, I'm called a Communist."

Alice is very different, and was recently appointed to the Irish Human Rights Commission. She's a member of a very small band of people who believe that social justice won't happen unless you get out there and do it on two fronts - you walk the walk to give you experience and credibility, and you use that experience to talk the talk.

She goes around asking why we have homeless people, why we have a lack of services for them, and why some people are not included in this wonderful, progressive society we have, and not a single bit of what she does is on her own behalf. I think this is very admirable in this modern society, where there is a huge obsession with self, and with materialism.