Confusion, uncertainty, and fear following Hotel Killarney violence

Concerns voiced over integration procedures in town, while experts in the asylum seeker process say there are bigger issues at play

Emergency services at Hotel Killarney where four people were injured in an altercation on New Year's Day. Picture: Padraig Healy 

The crisp air and penetrating rays that bathed Kerry in a new year glow on Monday morning masked the undercurrent of confusion, uncertainty, and fear following a stabbing incident at the town’s Hotel Killarney on Sunday.

A small Garda presence had left by lunchtime, the last remnants of policing following an incident that left a number of hotel residents with injuries.

The hotel has become a melting pot of cultures and nationalities, as it hosts around 400 direct provision applicants.

The morning after the night before was one of serenity and people going about their business. Spots across the hotel were being used as rest areas, or communal places to catch up with friends new and old.

Residents came and went as normal, similar to any hotel in any part of Ireland on a given day. It is life as normal for most.

Nods to new friends and happy new year greetings pervaded the air, the aura of new possibilities in 2023 providing a sense of hope and collegiality.

There were some stretching out in their fitness gear, like the thousands across the country vowing to use the new year as a reset, to finally run that marathon, or give up the cigarettes.

There was no sign of protest, or anyone looking to exploit the incident as a far-right talking point, at the hotel.

There was no inkling that a serious incident had taken place.

It was simply a bank holiday lunchtime at the start of the new year, nothing more or nothing less.

Collective anxiety

However, the incident has given created a collective anxiety among people in the town.

The Irish Examiner spoke to people horrified at being labelled as racist, but who do have what they feel are “legitimate concerns” about the integration process under way in Killarney.

Independent councillor Donal Grady said the Government “doesn’t even have a Plan A, never mind Plan B” when it comes to providing services and integration to newcomers.

That, he claimed, gives rise to incidents where people are hemmed in together, such as what occurred at Hotel Killarney on Sunday night.

“The Killarney brand is being marred with incidents such as this. It is not racist for people in the town to have legitimate concerns about how people are being integrated.

"There are not enough doctors in Killarney to cope with existing patients, for example. The extra numbers are putting huge strain on resources that badly need reinforcement.

“We’ve got to be honest about the issues facing Killarney, and they are many at the moment. It is not fair that the townspeople of Killarney are having the shoulder it all themselves,” he said.

Politicians under fire

He said politicians on the national stage have done little to resolve the integration issue as they arise.

“Killarney’s people have been as welcoming and understanding as anyone in Ireland, but when you are not equipped to deal with an influx of people coming in, then it gets worse. We want to be heard.”

For experts in the asylum seeker process, there are bigger issues at play.

Lucky Khambule of the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) said the incident has nothing to do with the high number of people living in direct provision.

Mr Khambule pointed to the rise in antisocial behaviour in various parts of the country. He said: 

We are seeing a lot of antisocial behaviour from people who are children of Ireland and nobody talks about that.

Mr Khambule said the violence at the hotel should prompt an examination of how asylum seekers are housed in Ireland.

People of very different backgrounds and cultures are finding themselves living in close quarters and this can lead to tension, he told Radio Kerry.

Gardaí should be given the space they need to investigate what led to the altercation in the hotel, he concluded.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth said: “Where An Garda Síochána are already involved, the department is precluded from commenting as it may prejudice any consequent investigation or court case.

“Any person who alleges they have been the victim of an assault should contact An Garda Síochána. This will ensure that the matter is dealt with appropriately.

“For any alleged incident at an International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) accommodation centre, the centre is required to provide an incident report and the matter will be investigated by IPAS, as appropriate.”