Dundrum residents opposing asylum centre plans don't want violence 'like in Coolock'
A 'Welcome to Dundrum' sign in Dundrum, Co Tipperary. Picture: Alison O'Reilly
Protesters who brought a High Court legal challenge to try and stop an asylum seeker centre from expanding in Co Tipperary have warned similar groups from around the country to “stay away” saying: “There will be no violence like in Coolock.”
This week an application for an emergency injunction to stop Dundrum House Hotel turning into a full-time asylum seeker centre was refused by Judge David Holland.
The case was brought on behalf of 230 residents who submitted 230 sworn affidavits complaining that International Protection Applicants will be offered accommodation at the resort.
Ukrainian asylum seekers first moved into the hotel shortly after the war broke out, but many have since left and there are around 70 asylum seekers of all nationalities living there currently. The plan is to move in around 270 IPAS.
This week, the met the protesters who have set up a round-the-clock camp and have been demonstrating at the front of the hotel for the past nine weeks. They said they do not want to be branded as “racists” and want outside groups to stay away.
“Fires and violence do not help matters,” said one local Fiona Kennedy. “We obviously feel for other communities, but we are keeping this local and there will be no violence.
“We are such a contrast to Coolock. We have been very afraid of that happening here, so we have been vigilant of keeping outside elements out. We say thank you for your support, we know how to deal with it, and we will.
“We don’t want violence; we are going to deal with this as locals. This is a local issue, but also, it’s a national crisis," Ms Kennedy said.
“The Government can’t get on top of it, it’s the frustration of it — we are told, we must double your population with complete strangers, and we have no say. The only way now to fight the Department of Integration is to do it in their own boardrooms legally.”
In contrast to the scenes at the former Crown Paints warehouse in Coolock in north Dublin recently, with five arson attacks in one week, gardaí being attacked with missiles, and multiple arrests, the protesters in Dundrum are sitting on chairs in the shade from the sun drinking tea.
Dundrum House Hotel has long established itself as a well-known luxury hotel and golf resort. It remains open to golfers. On Thursday, there was a steady stream of members dressed in pink for a charity day in aid of the National Breast cancer Research institution.
The resort itself is surrounded by acres of green lawns and forests, stone walls and luxury chalets. The locals say the loss of this hotel will damage local employment and put pressure on services.
Ms Kennedy said:
“The whole thing shows you how statutory instruments are being used to bypass legislation and make up rules as they go along.
“We went to the High Court because it is about coming at the State with their own legislation. The only way we are going to beat this is legally or politically.
“This hotel is very famous, there isn’t a place in the country that doesn’t know this hotel and its beautiful golf course.
“There was loads of employment, with two or three weddings a week, every youngster in the place put themselves through college by working here. It was great for the students and great for the mothers when their teenagers get a job. That is all lost now.”
Another protester, Pauline Burke added: “Our bar, Berties, has just gone up for sale this week, so this has taken all our amenities — there is actually nothing for us.
“That hotel served the community and wider community for generations, it was our social outlet, our employment and it will be sorely missed.
“I am living here with my husband 21 years, I am originally from Dublin. Three years before we moved here, we had a golfing weekend here and we then found ourselves buying a house here, we absolutely love it.
“We have a farmer’s field out the back of our home and we have deer there. If you look around you, this is green, pretty, scenic, the whole village is beautiful, and it is very accepting of people who move in here.
“We have been very happy the last 21 years,” she said.
Ms Kennedy explains how the “ballroom burned down in 2015, the hotel lost its core bread and butter. The weddings were huge here".
“That was devastating to the hotel, but the chalets were all functioning and the houses out the back rent privately to keep business going. Golf tours were booked and then covid hit.
"The hotel took a decision to house Ukrainians after the war. The hotel owners were going to upgrade the Manor house and the golf course. A consortium then bought it.
“It was only meant to be a temporary arrangement. But now we know it’s purely about money and less hassle, you don’t have to worry about services if you lease to the State.
“Our big thing here, there was no problem with the Ukrainians here, this now is going to turn into a permanent situation.
“In the absence of information and consultation from the department, they are creating situations where people are fearful, you are fearful of what you don’t know.”
The leafy and spotless village of Dundrum is a short distance from the tourist town of Cashel, with large wooden plaques inscribed with the street names.
A large for sale sign hangs over the doorway of Berties pub which is surrounded by a number of shops and a garage. In the centre of the village is a large green wall painted with the words “Dún Droma – The Ridge Fort, welcome to Dundrum.”
However, recently a number of large signs have been erected that read “Protect our community” and “No Direct provision centre “and Dundrum says No to IPAS.” Another reads “Dundrum does not want or need IPAS.”
The community held a meeting at the town hall in the area on Friday night, to discuss with their legal representative what steps are open to them in the High Court going forward.
Ms Kennedy said they have been given leave to apply for an injunction and they will discuss this further, but no decisions have been made yet. Another protestor Patrick Harding from Donohill, which is 12km away from Dundrum, said he joined the protesters nine weeks ago to “lend a hand”.
“The government needs to listen to us; we can’t even house our own never mind these people.
“Two of my sisters got married here, there will be nothing for these people to do now, and why bring people in where there is nothing to do, and we have nothing to do.”
The residents of Dundrum led by Westmeath man Patrick McGreal first went to the High Court looking for injunctions and for the court’s permission to challenge any attempt to use Dundrum House Hotel to accommodate asylum seekers.
They were looking to bring judicial review proceedings and challenge a provision of the Planning and Development (exempted Development) Regulations which allows buildings to be used to house International Protection Applicants.
Ms Justice Niamh Hyland refused to amend the title of the proceedings to include “The People of Dundrum” as well as Mr McGreal as she said “The People of Dundrum” were not a legal entity.
The judge transferred the case on the last day of the legal term to Mr Justice David Holland who is in charge of planning matters.
Mr Justice Holland, over a number of hours, heard the application from Mr McGreal for an emergency injunction which is called an ex parte interim junction because only one side is represented.
In a lengthy and late-night judgment, Mr Justice Holland refused to grant an emergency injunction to stop asylum seekers being accommodated in the hotel.
The judge said no case had been made to grant an ex parte injunction where only one side is represented. He said the application simply did not have the necessary urgency.
Dundrum residents had lodged 230 affidavits with the High Court complaining that International Protection Applicants would be offered rooms at the Dundrum House Hotel resort from last Thursday.
Mr Justice Holland who read the affidavits said communities may not as a legal right vet or veto those who seek to live among them.
He said there was a “notable peculiarity” that the person who brought the case lived in Co Westmeath and he did not understand why Dundrum residents were not named as applicants in the proceedings.
He said concern was raised over the potential intrusion into private dwellings. “It is saying that International Protection Applicants are more likely to be burglars than those staying as guests at the hotel or Ukrainian refugees staying there. I lend no weight to that assertion,” the judge stated.
Legal sources say it is now open for the residents or Mr McGreal to apply again to the High Court for an injunction hearing but on notice to the other side which is the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. This would mean that the court would hear submissions from both sides before deciding on the merits of the injunction application.
Any such application could go before the duty judge of the High Court as the main courts are on vacation. The application of leave to bring the judicial review or legal challenge to the planning regulation can also still be made to the High Court.
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