Thousands rally against 'really backward step' of closing respite centre in Roscommon

Thousands of people braved the rain in County Roscommon today to protest at plans to shut down a local respite centre with the loss of 48 jobs.

The #SaveCuisle Support Group organised the rally to call on the Irish Wheelchair Association to reverse the decision.

Eileen Finan was among those who turned out to support the rally in the rain.

She says the whole community is passionately united against the closure.

Ms Finan said: "As far as I could make out there were thousands of people there, there were family members of people with disabilities, there were people with disabilities themselves, there were business people, people who work in the centre - I think everybody of all ages were there in a turnout of solidarity.

Huge crowd at Save Cuisle rally. 3/4000. Great to see. @savecuisle @RoscommonPeople pic.twitter.com/Aqbkq5EAt9

— Seamus Duke (@SeamusDuke) November 23, 2019

"Everybody was united against this really backward step that the Irish Wheelchair Association has taken and I really don't understand their thinking really."