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The protest site is on land owned by the HSE, opposite to the entrance of the Ard Aoibhinn estate, on the Heywood Road, to the north of the town near the halting site and rugby club, 52.366614, -7.718065.
Approximately from the early part of this year rumours have been circulating about the government developing land in Clonmel for modular homes accommodating large numbers of migrants. Of course this whole push by the government is using emergency legislation, hence no planning permission, on the grounds of the emergency caused in Ireland by the Ukraine war, literally the other side of Europe, while in actual fact hardly any migrants in these centres are from Ukraine.
Hard information on this centre was hard to come by though because the government kept secret most of the details away from people like local TD Mattie McGrath, one of the very few Oireachtas members sceptical of this migrant policy.
However plans were firmed up in the last two weeks or so but the construction workers who went onto the site have been challenged by locals who have also created a 24 hour protest encampment. This has been created by local people but assisted by what are now veterans of this new struggle, from Naas and Arklow. Fortunately the protesters have had some luck in pausing some of this construction, including the planned destruction of a magnificent 200 year old tree and causing some of the workers to change their employment.
In any case here are some pictures of the encampment and an interview in the hut with Joe Ryan, Desmond Lonergan and Ann Orrill, respectively.
by Brian Nugent