Locals have been enraged as they witness a centuries-old luxury hotel in their small village become laden with migrants.
Ireland's Dundrum House Hotel - once a four star resort - is now home to a consistent group of protesters living out of tents, with signs dotted around reading “Make Ireland Great Again” and “Save our Hotel”.
The fury has slowly enveloped the town since a small group of Ukrainians first arrived at the Irish resort in 2023.
Now, the 300-year-old hotel has become plastered with warnings saying “No unauthorised persons beyond this point” as it fends off residents who have been infuriated by Ireland’s immigration policy.
Last year, 70 more women and children refugees from other countries arrived at the hotel
Dundrum House Hotel
Last year, 70 more women and children refugees from other countries arrived at the hotel, with many more expected to join soon.
It has even been estimated that the village’s migrant population could soon trump Dundrum’s current population - which was recorded as 221 during the last census.
Next door to the hotel, County Tipperary Golf and Country Club - with membership at £775-a-year - has remained open although the resort is currently closed off to guests.
Resident Margaret Gallagher, 50, echoed other locals’ disgruntlement, saying: “It wasn't the ideal place for the Ukrainian refugees, but with the asylum seekers, we know nothing about them and I doubt the Government [does] either.
“We know for a fact the majority of these are economic migrants and we don't want them in our village.
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“The infrastructure here isn't up to this - the doctor's list is full and you couldn't imagine a worse place to put people who have nothing to do. There are barely 200 of us in the village and they're talking about putting 300 people here.
“The hotel was an integral part of the village and brought people into the area who spent money at the few shops in the village.”
Andrea Crowe, 46, who is the daughter of the hotel’s former owners, said that she was “filled with sadness” after the hotel became a site to house migrants.
She explained that she was particularly worried about the impact of the Irish government’s decision on the local community’s housing, health and education systems.
Andrea Crowe, who is the daughter of the hotel’s former owners, said that she was “filled with sadness” after the hotel became a site to house migrants
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The number of migrant arrivals in Ireland hit its highest record since 2007 when 149,200 people arrived in the year ending April 2024.
As a result of the country’s sharp rise in arrivals, citizens have expressed their discontent via anti-immigration demonstrations.
Driven by the stabbing of three children and a care assistant in Dublin, the capital witnessed one of the most violent protests in the city’s modern history in 2023, the Gardai said.
A spokesman for the Department of Integration told the Daily mail that it had “received an offer from a provider to provide international protection accommodation at this location following the end of the contract for those fleeing the war in Ukraine, and the Department is considering that offer.
“No further details can be provided while this assessment is ongoing. All offers of accommodation have to be assessed but not all are deemed appropriate or suitable.
“The relocations of Ukraine residents from this property are currently under pause, and the Department will keep residents and the provider informed about next steps.”
