LATEST: Major protest planned in Roscrea town centre against hotel asylum decision

Roscrea town centre is expecting a major protest today agsint the decision to repurpose the heritage town's only hotel to provide accommodation for international protection applicants.

Local activist group Roscrea Stands Up have organised a protest to start on Main Street in Roscrea at 3:30pm which will be attended by Dáil representatives and is expected to attract large numbers of local people.

Roscrea Stands Up was founded in 2014 and shot to national prominence when a public meeting organised by the group to highlight problems with drug dealing and abuse in the town resulted in an impromptu march on the local Garda Station.

Founder, Derek Russell, told the Midland Tribune and Offaly Express that tension in Roscrea is at boiling point since the decision to close Roscrea's only operating hotel to the public was revealed on Thursday.

Mr. Russell said he feels it is a watershed moment in Roscrea and that the protest is aimed at giving the local community an opportunity to gather and voice their concerns. All local elected representatives have been invited and Dáil representatives have confirmed they will attend today's event.

Meanwhile, protestors have continued to demonstrate at the entrance to the Racket Hall Hotel, located on the N7 old Dublin Road approximately two kilometers from the town centre. 

All 40 rooms of the hotel will now accommodate 160 people described by the Department of Integration and Equality as "families of international protection applicants".  

The protestors have erected a barricade and Gardaí have maintained a presence at the scene since the demonstration began on Thursday night.

Local Fianna Fáil Councillor, Michael Smith spoke on TippFM local radio last night an called on local people to not barricade the entrance and attempt to block vehicles carrying international asylum applicants.

”This is a private individual company, Swiftcastle Ltd, who have decided, for commercial reasons, or whatever reasons, to enter into a contract for 12 months. They are International Protection Applicants that are coming, and I don’t think that there’s going to be any change in this.

”So I think we have to work now to ensure, to work with the owners, to work with all the different agencies to make this work", Cllr. Smith said.

Meanwhile, the story has attracted national and international attention in the last 48-hours. The topic 'Roscrea' continues to be the top trending subject on Twitter in Ireland and social media is flooded with posts from people expressing strong opinions on the unfolding situation in Roscrea.

More on this story as it happens.