You’re Not From Around Here, Are You?

at

yesterday.

Roosky, County Roscommon-Leitrim border

Rooskey resident Niamk Kiernan (top left) clashes with anti-racism activists, including Izzy Kamikaze (top right), during a protest at recent arson attacks at a hotel in the village earmarked for Direct Provision….

Meanwhile…

Meanwhile

RTÉ News coverage last night.

Protest over direct provision plans for hotel in Rooskey (RTÉ)

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60 thoughts on “You’re Not From Around Here, Are You?

  1. Col

    I can see why she’s annoyed, but could she not prove that the people of Rooskey are not racist by joining in the anti-racism demonstration? Should they not be glad those people organised a rally in their town to prove what a welcoming place it is and use it as a platform to call for improved services (bus service, GPs, as she mentions)?

  2. class wario

    Please don’t signal boost some racist oddball putting up videos about telling a ‘Soros rent-a-mob’ where to go, ta

    1. Junkface

      +1
      Do people think Soros is the holy ghost? He seems to be able to be everywhere lately. More conspiracy nonsense.

  3. phil

    Im less interested in investigating who committed the arson attack, I more interested in why racists get so upset when it pointed out to them that they are racists….

    1. Northern Pole Cats

      ^__^

      Fair point.

      Anybody smell another hate-hoax?

      Globo-lefty-commie types have a history of False Flags.

      1. Sham Bob

        Which bit was the false flag, the fire that you think was accidental, or the local trying to derail the protest?

    2. McVitty

      You need a little thing called evidence before you slander someone – unless you stand for all that is good in this world….unless you are someone like yourself.

      Power is a dangerous thing when given to those who hold themselves above accountability.

  4. Pee Pee

    The woman from Rooskey claimed it wasn’t an arson attack. Would you go away outta that. Where the hell is Rooskey anyways?

  5. Truth in the News

    In many parts of Ireland you can be refused planning permission to build
    a house if you do not come from the area, is it any wonder with this type
    of social engineering that there are questions about locating those who
    claim asylum status in locations where the locals are ignored or even
    consulted, who is responsible for this policy, is not the real reason to
    keep the problem out of sight in the large urban areas and shift it to remote
    areas in rural Ireland where it hoped there would be no backlash or no
    political response, and if the locals did respond, they would be quickly
    shut up by labelling them as “Racists”

    1. Dub Spot

      It’s a fair point about consultation or lack of. That said, real “racists” are not going to engage with any process, so it’s unlikely the attacks would subside…

      I agree that there should be asylum centres or accommodation located fairly – Dublin areas such as Mount Merrion, Stepaside, Castleknock, and Sandymount should be carrying their fair share for example.

      1. Nigel

        I feckin despair that after the extravagant messes made in the Celtic Tiger era we haven’t properly gotten to grips with planning reform and the use of public consultation. Just one bloody party that shows a commitment to actually planning ahead, listening to experts and educating the public and taking their opinions on board, that’s all I ask.

    2. Robert

      This is the key issue from where I’m standing. I think there’s a rush to label the attack as “racist” when it could just be that they don’t want a massive influx of unknown people into their community without being consulted, which, I mean call me a racist if you like, is a reasonable concern. Perhaps not reasonably expressed, but not racist.

      As you say, this is probably compounded with the lack of opportunities for natives …

      1. Daisy Chainsaw

        So why have a hotel in the first place if you don’t want people coming in? Is there a time limit to acceptance of furriners into the town. A week or two is grand, but don’t be putting your kids into our schools, mind.

      2. Rob_G

        I don’t like the massive influx of culchies into Dublin – it is fine then to firebomb the Big Tree or wherever?

      3. Nigel

        While I reckon there’s plenty of reasonable criticism to be made about lack of planning and consultation without labelling anyone racist, setting fire to something isn’t going to win you the benefit of the doubt (but it only takes one person to do set a fire, and then lots of Soroscentric YouTubers to rally round them.)

  6. Spud

    Bizarre protest group… all armed with mobiles filming people filming people filming…
    Watched some video from some Grand Torino chap.
    I’m a bit behind on all this sort of stuff. What’s his agenda in all of it?

    1. Dub Spot

      “Fame makes a man take things over
      Fame lets him loose, hard to swallow
      Fame puts you there where things are hollow…”

    2. Daisy Chainsaw

      He’s a wannabe Yaxley/Milo. Claims he’s a “citizen journalist” (ie unemployable idiot with a camera).

      1. Dub Spot

        Nope. There’s a big sign there that says “Roosky”. Yet he types in “Rooskey”. The Favourite is safe for the Oscars then.

    3. Fergus the magic postman

      He travels from Dublin to Rooskey to film himself telling people from Leitrim/ Roscommon that they are not from Rooskey, and therefore have no right to be there, for the entertainment of the G O’D sheeple on his YouTube channel.
      He maintained his issue with the anti racist rally was that there was no balance. At a rally. Because anti-anything rallies should have balance apparently.

      As for the lady from Rooskey, her main issue was that the fire couldn’t have been arson as nobody knew who did it. She alternated between making this point and actually going “la la la not listening” when anybody tried to explain arson to her.
      She then went on to do an interview shown on RTE where she was much more coherent and careful about what she was saying.

      I don’t think the people from Rooskey are racist, and most of them are rightly concerned about the suitability of Rooskey as there’s really nothing there currently, even for the locals themselves. I also think a lot of them are afraid to be seen to to take a stand supporting the likes of this rally, when so many have come out against it, as it’s been painted incorrectly by certain quarters as being against Rooskey & it’s people.
      Also, when you have somebody willing to set fire to a hotel twice, you don’t really want to be on their radar as opposing them when you live in the locality.

        1. Fergus the magic postman

          It’s also called Ruskey, Ruscaigh, Ruscaí, and Rooskey.
          It’s been called Rooskey in all the media and twitter tags, relating to this.

          Thank you for contributing to the conversation Dublin Spot.

      1. McVitty

        Fergus the magic postman. Do you make many assumptions in your daily life? And how’s that been going for you?

  7. Gabby

    Rooskey and many villages and towns like it have been left behind. The Rooskeyites have a point when they criticise bussed-in antiracist protestors who don’t experience rural neglect.

    1. Junkface

      As more and more automation comes in over the next 10 years, rural towns will die a death in Ireland. More jobs will disappear, its inevitable I’m afraid. Shops are losing out to Amazon on bigger scale every year. Everyone will have to move to cities for prosperity. Better to accept it now and start planning for the future. Governments will have to bring in a Basic income for the population sooner than they thought.

  8. Kdoc

    Niamh is denying the arson attacks took place. She hardly thinks they were caused by spontaneous combustion!

  9. RuilleBuille

    Seems the racist arsonists have a small body of support in Rooskey.

    And as usual with the alt-right lie after lie.

  10. Catherine costelloe

    80 asylum seekers is a high number in a place like rooskey with a small population of 500 . I suppose the locals would have preferred to have kept hotel open for their own social use . 80 persons put into a 39 bedroomed hotel isn’t ideal either; they have no independence, can’t work, can’t cook for themselves. It would be a much better option of placing 20 persons in 4 rural towns – there are plenty of empty homes available. Residents would I feel sure make an effort in their own locality with 4/5 families….80 odd is a bit overwhelming and unfair to Rooskey .

    1. SOQ

      +1.

      Would there be such an objection if 80 people living in emergency accommodation in Dublin were forced to move there? Yes, there would. Not that it would ever happen of course because then these same people would be arguing in the opposite direction.

      One rule for the Irish and another for the immigrants I guess. Now who is the racist again?

      1. McVitty

        SOQ: No, it would be tough on the village if two buses of people from an underprivileged area of Dublin arrived also. And buddy, you are the one who went to race..

  11. eoin

    “What’s going on? What’s all this shouting? We’ll have no trouble heyere.”
    Sorry, I find this whole story confusing. According to RTE yesterday, Ming Flanagan was there to oppose the local housing of asylum seekers. I don’t believe that.

    “The meeting was addressed by MEP Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, who outlined his opposition to the housing of asylum seekers in hotels.”

    https://www.rte.ie/news/connacht/2019/0217/1031123-rooskey-protest/

  12. Coder Mike

    The idea that an under used hotel is repurposed makes me think that these asylum seekers are only visitors, and that is why no other supports are provided to the surrounding area, like additional school places for instance. I have never been to Rooskey so I don’t know how capable it is of supporting the new arrivals.

  13. IsItTeaYou'reLookingFor?

    I think a lot of you guys are missing the bigger part of the message here. Niamh (and the rest of the Rooskey locals who are overwhelmingly in agreement with her – I’m from the area and everybody is saying the same thing) wasn’t saying that the hotel should not be offered up to asylum seekers because locals want it preserved for social use etc. The fact is that these people are being dumped in this hotel in the middle of nowhere with no access to any amenities or chance of employment/social enrichment.

    What follows is a wall of text (it took on a life of its own), but I really think the information needs to be considered. Theres a lot of important context for why Rooskey and its people are so upset by this asylum centre and the “it all boils down to racism or xenophobia in some way” stance a lot of people find themselves taking – a stance which is understandable when you see just how much emphasis is being placed on the racism agenda to the point of neglecting the actual and reasonable concerns we’ve been trying to raise. Here’s some of the reasons there’s so much opposition for this centre:

    – There hasn’t been a bus service in the area for going on a decade now. Getting from the village to neighbouring towns and culture/entertainment is both a necessity (there’s *nothing* in Rooskey) and a serious struggle. The isolation is a pretty big contributing factor for the high suicide rates Roscommon, Leitrim and Longford have experienced in the past years (fyi Leitrim has the 3rd highest rates in Ireland currently – coming in behind Cork and Monaghan).
    – The GP clinic only opens for a few hours a week for prior appointments only. This is a service that for as far back as I can remember was struggling to cope with servicing the area; you could be in the waiting room for up to three hours back when it was first come first served. The appointments only schedule means that the GPS don’t lose their sanity, but it certainly means that many people – the elderly in particular – simply delay seeking medical help and suffer in silence, or have to arrange transport to the next closest GPs in Mohill or Longford. Tbh I’m not really articulating what I want to get across here very well :/ I guess the main point is that it is an already overloaded system that definitely would collapse with such a large influx of new residents.
    – The Garda Station is open for a grand total of 2-3 hours per day. You have to hope that in the event of an assault, burglary or domestic violence incident, the perpetrator(s) have the decency to carry out their business during these working hours – the chances of anyone actually turning up to investigate calls for help are almost hilariously low even when someone’s in office. Why would the Gardaí in an isolated village with no readily available backup be placing themselves in potentially dangerous situations when they can just wander over after the trouble has already played out and save themselves the extra hassle? I know stories of just that sort of thing happening where altercations have been called in. Can’t blame them for prioritising their self-preservation I guess, but that isn’t the greatest comfort if you’re the one waiting on help that is never going to arrive in time to be of help in real time. You can see how this is already bad, and adding what amounts to one sixth of the area’s current pop is hardly going to be ideal for anyone involved.
    – The nearest hospital’s A&E unit was shut down in 2011 which means that for the all too frequent emergencies residents encounter – when the young people have had to move away to find jobs and the population is aging its a regular occurance – unless an ambulance was passing the area en route to Sligo or Portiuncula at just the right time you’re looking at a bare minimum of 45 mins for help to arrive, before facing a 2 hr drive to receive critical treatment. And that’s if the medic drives like the clappers the whole way. God forbid you have to avoid traffic or the perpetual and ineffectual roadworks – the Golden Hour crucial for preserving life is a dot in the rearview mirror by the time you roll up to the hospital entrance.
    – The village is an empty shell. A large portion of main street is vacant buildings, or in many cases the dilapidated ruins of them. There’s four pubs, a post office, a community centre (unsure how much use it gets these days but I know people are trying to keep it entertaining), one shop, two takeaways, a primary school, nursing home and a church. There’s nothing recreational for people to do in the village if they aren’t inclined to be drinking, the broadband is about as reliable as warm, sunny weather in Ireland, and if you don’t have a licence and car of your own you’re for all intents and purposes stranded in the middle of nowhere.
    – As noted earlier, there are no job prospects at all around here. To be earning money you’re either going to be a farmer or you’ve got to move to where the work is. The loss of the two local factories (VistaMed relocated this decade and Hanley’s went up in flames back in 2002) in addition to the closing of the Shannon Key West Hotel in 2011 means that the primary – heck, the sole – attraction we have at this point is attracting tourism from the passing boats and descendants of emigrants returning to find their roots. You can imagine how helpful the lack of accessible public transport is on that front – and visitors having no options other than the four pubs for entertainment doesn’t make for a great family trip (the wojus internet service is the icing on that boredom cake).
    This has meant that moving to Dublin/Galway/Cork etc or even migration is what the majority of the younger generation here are resorting to – we all know trying to maintain a decently balance life is a struggle in Ireland with the jump in renting costs and drop in available accommodation. There’s absolutely nothing for us here. Why would anyone think it a good idea to effectively dump asylum seekers who’ve already been through a lifetime of trauma and hardship into a ghost town to rot under the guise of care and housing?
    – There’s been a plan in the works to rejuvenate Rooskey and the surrounding area – the Roscommon and Leitrim county councils are collaborating in this. A key factor to the proposed plan is the restoration of the hotel to functionality from what I’ve heard; it would be a major draw for the village again which would have a knock-on effect for local businesses and the community. I’ve also heard that while talks have been going ahead on this and parties have expressed their interest in buying and refurbishing the hotel, there’s an awful lot of work required before it could be considered safe for habitation.

    Keeping that last bit in mind, did you know that there is no useable fire escape for the building (which I’d be surprised to hear wasn’t somehow linked to why what I’m lead to understand were small, isolated fires were the means of vandalism chosen)? Additionally, the building has been left to rot for years now, and the level of mouldy deterioration after the best part of 8 years has got to be pretty hard to eradicate. I’ve heard tell of exposed electricity wires simply being painted over instead of being properly addressed and repaired while the hotel is getting “made ready” for these poor guys. The building’s somehow been cleared for these vulnerable asylum seekers to be crammed into – 89 people in a hotel which was designed for half that capacity. I don’t know about you, but I think you could almost substitute fire and fire escapes for icebergs and lifeboats and end up with a dodgy Titanic sequel. It appears that the health and safety shortcuts and planned overcrowding are already there!

    I’m sure I could go on, and there are of course people much more knowledgeable on these goings-on than I am. I truly hope that a lot of the things I’ve heard about the integrity of the hotel building itself turn out to have been wildly exaggerated or fabricated from nothing because frankly if they’re true and a matter of indifference to those pushing the asylum centre’s establishment, i don’t know how to feel.

    Here’s hoping that some good might come of all this rambling – maybe someone will find it helpful, if only a little.

    1. SOQ

      These types of situations are never black and white (pun) so it’s about time the locals had a right to reply and a chance to explain why they oppose this all but in name prison.

      I know that @IzzyKamikaze was an occasional guest on BroadSheet on the telly so maybe John / Bodger et all could ask Izzy for a response? Just an idea.

    2. Andrew

      I found it helpful and informative. Thank you for the post, I can sense the frustration of not being listened to.

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