Racket Hall protest expands to Roscrea town centre

A protest triggered by the sudden closure of the Racket Hall Hotel in Roscrea over four weeks ago has expanded to Roscrea town centre this morning.

Protestors opened a new front in their campaign to highlight the loss of the town's only hotel on Market Square this morning while also maintaining a constant presence at the gates of the former hotel for the last 30 days.

The demonstration will continue on Market Square today until the afternoon and will be repeated tomorrow, protestors told the Tribune as they braved the rain outside Roscrea Post Office this morning.

Independent Tipperary TD, Mattie McGrath, stopped in Roscrea yesterday and visited the ongoing demonstration at the entrance to the Racket Hall Hotel carpark and protestors said they continue to receive strong support from the local community in Roscrea.

"We came into the town to bring more attention to the protest and people are showing us their support. We have a book for people to add their names to our petition", Maria Phelan said.

A committee formed to steer the protest is meeting with local elected representatives later today to explore potential additional resources to help the town cope with the dramatic increase in people seeking emergency accommodation living in Roscrea.

Meanwhile protestors remain encamped at the entrance to Roscrea's Racket Hall Hotel this week as the demonstration reached the four week milestone on Thursday.

The protest, which received weeks of national and international media attention, began on January 11 when news broke that Racket Hall Hotel was to close its doors to the public with immediate effect and be repurposed to provide emergency accommodation for families of international protection applicants.

Those protesting say their demand of a cap on the number of refugees and people seeking international protection who will be accommodated in Roscrea has not yet been met and they will remain at the entrance to the former hotel premises.

A committee has formed to steer the protest and will attempt to represent the wide variety of concerns expressed by people who participated in a recent major demonstration march through the town centre.

Independent TDs from Tipperary and neighbouring Laois/Offaly addressed crowds in Roscrea and pledged to work with the committee to explore the possibility of extra resources and funding to help the town cope with the dramatic influx of people seeking emergency accommodation.

Currently Roscrea is home to people living in two other large emergency accommodation facilities located in the former Sacred Heart Convent in the town centre and at Corville House on the grounds of Sean Ross Abbey in the expansive St. Anne's campus on the northern outskirts of the town.

The former Sacred Heart convent will accommodate 400 people fleeing the war in eastern Ukraine when it reaches full capacity later this year and Corville House accommodates approximately 200 international protection applicants who mostly come from the Middle East and African countries.

People seeking international protection are also accommodated in numerous buildings and homes in the town centre. Currently less than 20 people are accommodated in the former Racket Hall Hotel and the premises is expected to accommodate 160 people when it reaches full capacity. 

Flags, banners and horsebox trailers for shelter from the elements have become a permanent fixture at the entrance to the hotel carpark, where people continuing to protest the closure of the hotel keep a 24-hour presence.