Man charged over threats to burn down asylum hotel

Stephen O’Rourke (43), of Athy, appeared before Naas District Court. Meanwhile, anti-asylum seeker protestors blocked roads in Fermoy and Dublin

Protesters at the anti-asylum seeker demonstration in Fermoy, Co Cork tonight. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

A man in his 40s has been charged in relation to threats to burn down a hotel where asylum seekers are being accommodated, as hundreds of people attended anti-refugee demonstrations in Cork and Dublin last night.

Stephen O’Rourke (43), of Athy, appeared before Naas district court and was given bail. He is due to appear in court again on February 14.

He was arrested and questioned on Thursday in relation to alleged threats made on Monday relating to the hotel on Stanhope Street in Athy. A group of refugees had arrived at the hotel on Monday.

Meanwhile, in East Wall in Dublin, around 100 demonstrators marched from the former ESB building that is being used to accommodate asylum seekers to a junction at the exit of the Port Tunnel.

Protesters blocking traffic at Dublin Port Tunnel as they continue protests against an asylum seeker accommodation centre in East Wall. Picture: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

The demonstrators, bearing placards with messages such as ‘Irish Lives Matter’ and ‘East Wall says no’, blocked the road in every direction for over 20 minutes, before marching onwards to block the East Link Bridge beside the 3Arena. 

Activist Malachy Steenson addressed the crowd, calling for a change in immigration policy.

From there, the demonstrators marched back down to the former ESB building before dispersing.

There was no visible garda presence at either the Port Tunnel junction or the East Link Bridge during this demonstration.

Another protest in Ballymun drew approximately 80 demonstrators who blocked the M50 for a period of time, while a rally in Clondalkin drew a number of counter-protestors.

In Cork, a group of about 50 anti-asylum seeker protesters blocked the main road through Fermoy during their rally in the town, causing lengthy tailbacks for about 10 minutes.

Gardaí, who had been monitoring the protest discreetly, intervened quickly but the protestors insisted they had a right to protest and they refused to move.

Derek Blighe speaking at the anti-asylum seeker demonstration in Fermoy Co Cork tonight. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

One worried mother, who had a sick child in the back of her car, left her vehicle and approached the main protest organisers to explain her plight.

As she ran back to her car, the protestors agreed to move to the side of the bridge and traffic began to flow again.

The main speaker, far-right activist Derek Blighe, spoke at length, criticising the government and the media.