Evicted couple Martin and Violet Coyne have spent the first night out of their home in Dublin. The couple claim their eviction from their rented house was illegal.

Mr and Mrs Coyne appeared in court yesterday afternoon for contempt of court for failing to comply with orders to leave the house.

The case was adjourned until October, while an agreement has been reached to allow for their possessions to be taken from the property on Luttrel Drive in Carpenterstown.

At 7.30am yesterday morning, bailiffs from the Dublin Sheriffs office and receivers from KPMG, accompanied by gardaí, evicted Mr and Mrs Coyne.

Violet Coyne outside court yesterday | Image: Photocall

The house has been repossessed by ACC Bank after the landlord's company went into receivership. The couple had been renting the property for 15 years.

They were notified in November 2010 that their tenure was being terminated because the house was being put up for sale.

They are on a housing list, but they have been waiting for four years without any success.

They appeared in court a number of times and were told they would be jailed if they did not evacuate the house.

The Coynes - who could face imprisonment for contempt of court - say they cannot find alternative accommodation.

Mr Coyne told the Pat Kenny Show here on Newstalk that he never thought it would come to this.