I didn’t expect to get emotional watching a group of elderly men sing outside the Spire in Dublin City Centre. But there I was, phone out, trying to keep the camera steady while Mario Aprile told me what they were doing and why.
R.A.M.S. stands for Retired Active Men’s Social. Most of the members are in their late 70s and 80s. Some are in their 90s. Every few weeks, they set up at a shopping centre or a public spot around Dublin and sing. Not for themselves, but to raise money for charity.
According to Mario, they’ve been at it for about 10 to 12 years and have raised over €300,000 across their four nominated charities: the Capuchin Day Centre, St Vincent de Paul, Down Syndrome Kildare, and Our Lady’s Hospice Harold’s Cross. In 2024 alone, the group raised more than €45,000.
I filmed this short video during one of the fundraiser events in the Spire, Dublin City Centre.
The Retired Active Men’s Society (RAMS) was formed in October 2010, that marks the beginning of what would become one of the most vibrant and community‑minded groups in the region.
I had a chance to speak briefly with Brian Friel as well. He was out collecting donations alongside the R.A.M.S. that morning. Brian has been the CEO of the Capuchin Day Centre since July 2023.
He proudly said that the centre serves around 350 breakfasts and 700 dinners every single day, six days a week. They also hand out over 1,400 food parcels weekly. All of it free. No ID required, no forms to fill out. People walk in, and they’re fed.
Here is another video featuring Dublin City, RAMS, performing in 2024 for the same cause.
What surprised me most was the medical side. The centre runs GP clinics, nursing, dentistry, chiropody, and optician services on-site through a partnership with SafetyNet Primary Care.
For people sleeping rough or barely making rent, a trip to the dentist is not something that happens.
They recently performed on Daffodil Day, March 20th, for the Irish Cancer Society as part of their annual fundraiser at the Square, Tallaght. Their lively singing drew an outpouring of kindness from shoppers, and they successfully raised €2,300 in just two hours.
Standing there watching the R.A.M.S. sing, I kept thinking about the two sides of this story. On one side, you have retired men who could easily stay home. Nobody would blame them.
Instead, they get on a bus, set up their microphones, and sing for hours in the cold for people they’ll never meet. On the other side, you have a centre where over a thousand people walk through the door every day to eat.
Let’s not wait for God to come and help them; maybe God is waiting for us to help them.
For more on frontline homelessness work in Dublin, this episode of the 10forty Podcast features Brandon O’Connor, who founded Dublin Homeless Awareness as a teenager and has been running street outreach ever since.
You can support the Capuchin Day Centre directly through capuchindaycentre.ie.
To find out more about R.A.M.S. in Rhythm, visit their page on Age Friendly Ireland.
