‘I hate my house’: The families affected by the mica crisis explain why their lives have been put on hold
In Co Donegal, the creeping decay caused to people’s homes by mica has resulted in hundreds of lives being derailed: not just by the huge costs they face, but by the coming upheaval they face in the knowledge their houses will be demolished. Here, they tell their stories
Eileen and Stephen Long’s son Tiernan is like most nine-year-olds. He plays around the fringes of his house, kicking his football against the gable wall – although he’s not really allowed to any more. He likes to draw too and, recently, he drew a picture of his home. On it, he had added a note. “I hate my house,” it said.
The Long family built their home on Inch Island, Co Donegal, in 2006. ...
