The quiet, Co Wicklow village of Newtownmountkennedy, earlier this year convulsed by violent clashes with gardaí outside proposed asylum seeker accommodation, remains “divided” and “traumatised”, say locals.
Some feel no mainstream political party speaks for them, while others despair at what they see as lack of political “courage” in supporting the village to adapt to more than 100 new asylum-seeking residents.
Disturbances, which included rubble being thrown at gardaí and a small outhouse being set alight, erupted in April at River Lodge, known locally as Trudder House – a HSE-owned facility on the outskirts of Newtownmountkennedy – amid rumours it would be accommodate single, male asylum seekers.
Under the banner ‘Newtown Says No’ (NTSN) some protesters said the long-disused premises should open as a health facility, opposing accommodating asylum seekers, especially single men.
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An ongoing 24-hour protest descended into clashes with gardaí on April 25th, resulting in six arrests and four people being brought before the courts.
In May, international protection applicants (IPAs) moved into tented accommodation on the site, without apparent consequence.
Graffiti outside its entrance, including proclamations of “Newtown Says No” and a tricoloured map of Ireland, testifies to ongoing opposition to its use as an International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centre.
Though sporadic protests continue, resulting in some IPAs preferring not to leave the site at all, the area on Friday was calm.
As a general election looms, locals talk sadly of what was “done” to the place by authorities.
“There is a split in the town, but it isn’t 50:50,” says Melissa Bosch. She is a member of Newtown Together (NT), a small group of mainly women residents founded to support the IPAs and try to counter what they saw as the negativity of NTSN.
“There is a small, very loud group very opposed to the IPAS centre with some really charged, right-leaning political people coming into the village. Then there’s us.
“And then there’s probably a silent 80 per cent in the middle, who want to keep the peace but are feeling: ‘Where is the communication from Government? Where is the policy? How should I even behave in all this?’”
Over coffee in the trendy Wicklow Wolf brewery and pizza cafe, she and other NT members ponder the ongoing impact of the past six months and possible lessons.
“If we want to put a positive spin on what has happened, there has come together a really well-functioning group – fundraising and organising events to support the men [IPAs],” says Denise McAvinia. “It has deepened a sense of community.
“But the experience has left me wondering what would have happened if we had not started NT. Nobody is clear about whose responsibility all this is. It is literally left up to us.”
The scenes in April frightened villagers, says Grace Kavanagh, discouraging many from interacting with the IPAs or even from discussing the issues. “People don’t want to get involved. Paranoia has been created.”
The most prominent resident opposing the centre is former local election candidate John Larkin. “Nothing has changed since April. People are still seething and still want the centre closed,” he says. “The Government only puts these centres in working-class places like Newtown, never in the Dalkeys or Killineys.”
Drawing on 2022 Census data, the independent agency Pobal says about two-thirds of Newtownmountkennedy is either “disadvantaged” or “marginally below average”, with a small pocket “affluent”. The village is growing fast, its population up 47 per cent in the decade to 2022 to 3,539, and with significant housing development continuing around it.
Friday afternoon, however, finds the main street almost deserted, several of its shopfronts boarded up.
Election issues mentioned include the cost of living, lack of a local secondary school, inadequate public transport and over-development. No one mentions Trudder House. Asked directly about it, people say variously the IPAs should be “left in peace” or that it didn’t “bother” them.
One man comments: “A lot of people are very angry, but for the wrong reasons I’d say. There is nothing positive happening for young people in the town ... There is no doctors for all the houses they’re building.”
A number say nearby Greystones [base of Taoiseach Mr Harris] “gets everything”.
If any mainstream parties canvass in Newtown “they’ll be run out of the place” says Mr Larkin. He is not running in the election, supporting instead the “agreed nationalist” candidate, Rob Carry (Independent).
“There is incredible anger. People feel sold down the swanny. It is terrible what the politicians have done to Newtown.”
On this, it appears, there is agreement. “Six months into this and we still cannot, as a village, communicate together about it because the division has not been mediated or helped,” says Ms Kavanagh. “We have had people leave our group because they got pressure from family not to be involved.”
“The poor management of the entire process has done a disservice to the village, the men, to everyone,” says Ms Bosch.
“The time for vacuous words is over. We need to see leaders step and up and say with courage: ‘This is the plan for a changing Ireland. This is the blueprint and the vision. This is the way forward.’ But no one wants to talk about it because they’re afraid they’ll lose votes.”
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