Reporting On ‘A Land Grab’

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Yesterday morning and all last week.

Anna Kavanagh, from Longford, who volunteers with Athlone Community Radio, reported via Facebook on events from Strokestown, County Roscommon.

Her videos here, here and here have had close to a million views so far.

Further to this…

Last night Anna posted a letter she wrote to the Irish Farmers Journal in 2016 about the difficulties that farmers are facing when it comes to meeting their loan repayments.

Anna writes::

I predicted in April 2016 that we were about to see a land grab in Ireland not seen since Cromwell and I called on the Government to put a contingency plan in place to prevent this happening.

I’m very shaken by what has happened in Roscommon this week and my reporting from the scene of the eviction has taken its toll on me. I do not want to see any further breakdown of the rule of law and order in this country. We are a democracy and I believe in the power of the ballot box.

I’m pleading to Leo Varadkar, Charlie Flanagan and Drew Harris to restore the rule of law to the courts, the Gardai and the body politic because history teaches us that the alternative is anarchy. I’m unable to respond to all the requests for the moment and I appeal that you continue to keep your comments respectful.

Many thanks to you for reading and for your support.

Anna Kavanagh (Facebook)

Thanks Johnny Keenan

UPDATE:

Anna writes:

“I’m live on air at 3.20pm to bring you breaking news from Roscommon eviction. You can listen live on the net at this link. Please share and let others know.”

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35 thoughts on “Reporting On ‘A Land Grab’

  1. Col

    It seems a bit like people think once you own property, everything must be done to keep you in your home. Evictions should not be considered.
    But on the flip side, there are thousands of people in rent traps, saving very cent to try to buy property of their own, for whom nothing is being done.
    People who don’t pay their mortgages, who don’t engage with lenders for years and years are deemed untouchable, even though there is likely a family with the means and desire to pay a mortgage, who are effectively being barred from purchasing those homes.

    1. Broadbag

      +1 The wilful ignorance is astonishing and if you call people out on it all they bleat back is ”but we bailed out the banks!” as if that now means no-one ever has to pay back a loan again for the rest of eternity.

  2. Gertrude

    Col, it’s not ALL about you…so you’re fine with elderly people, who have paid their mortgage/rent for decades being fkd out of their home? They were more than likely too frightened to engage with the lender. Don’t be so cold and heartless.

    1. Col

      Elderly? What age are they?
      Have they been paying their mortgage? They are also being reported as tenants in some cases.
      Where are you getting your info?
      The only relevant information I can find is this:
      “In 2015, Revenue secured a settlement totalling €429,501 against the evicted man as a tax defaulter for the under declaration of VAT.”
      https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/taoiseach-condemns-highly-violent-attack-at-repossessed-house-as-garda-probe-dissident-links-37632029.html

    2. ollie

      “They were more than likely too frightened to engage with the lender. ”
      I suppose you have proof od this? Do you know them? Do you know the circumstances? Do you know who the Sheriff’s staff are?
      Nah, didn’t think so.But hey, let’s get the house back by beating the crap out of court appointed people doing a tough job

  3. Baffled

    People in Ireland regularly complain about how mortgage costs here are the highest in Europe.

    Yet many people in Ireland also complain when the banks seek to enforce collateral, demanding that legislators put a halt to evictions.

    We don’t seem to be that good at joining the dots.

      1. topsy

        Dear Neilo, those dogs weren’t on their way to Crufts. They were intended for use as weapons. Not very successfully it seems. The poor doggies!!!

        1. Neilo

          That’s true – a more successful deployment of force might have seen some chomping on the Balzacs of a few skangers. The dogs might also have got involved.

  4. newsjustin

    From the Irish Farmers Journal article:

    “In order to increase output, farmers were encouraged to borrow heavily to invest in farm buildings, machinery and stock.”

    Yeah, other SMEs are or have been encouraged to borrow (and householders too). But the decision to borrow is for the borrower to make. No one forced them.

    “What nobody seemed to foresee was the collapse in prices paid to farmers for commodities such as milk.”

    Yeah, that wasn’t very difficult. Just because a government policy paper said Ireland should produce more milk, doesn’t mean milk prices will defy the law of supply and demand. Really, did no one think ” if everyone around me is gonna produce more milk, the price will slump.”?

          1. newsjustin

            Thanks for the link.

            What specifically did I say that you think betrays my cluelessness? Help me out here.

  5. Owen C

    “The largest landlord in the state is a Canadian company called Irish Residential Properties REIT” (IRES)

    Yes, they own around 2,600 units (mainly apartments in Dublin) in a country with a total housing/apartment stock of around 2,050,000 or so. So they own just over 0.1% of the housing stock. The horror.

  6. Karl Sparks

    always support the strikers
    always support the rioters
    always support the looters

    El pueblo unido, jamás será vencido!

    1. Neilo

      Support the looters and rioters, eh? Must remember that when I’m liberating your TV and setting fire to your sofa this evening. Venceremos! :)

  7. Andy Moore

    I read settled with Revenue in IT . Bank was on long finger obviously ?? Bank got shot of debt anyways & is in American hands now !!

  8. M. Doheny

    Instead of Lord Lucan and his agents evicting us from our lands in Mayo we have Lord Leo doing it for the Vulture Funds with the help of tax dodgers like Lowry and then FAKENEWS about ‘dissidents’ being involved! And the Garda Commissionair , who was involved in an enquiy into collusion with ulster loyalists talking about the Garda being there to keep the peace….. ! And then 250 million given out by Lord Leo’s government this morning to junior bond holder venture funds after we rescued the banks who seem to have complete moral hazard but mortgage holders can’t have . They are trying to divide us.. middle class against poor . And those who are old or vulnerable. Larkins statue in O Connelly’s Street says … the great only appear great because we are on our knees.. get up off our knees . The banks have robbed us … trackers .Santander Bank this morning found guilty of criminally stealing from their bank customers!. Can’t you see that what’s going on is asset stripping of the country’s assets and we will merely be the workers or slaves who get paid servicing those Landlord Vulture Funds. ,WAKE UP IRELAND!. Best wishes to all in difficulty don’t let them divide us. Margaret

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