False rhetoric creating hardship in Urlingford - Kilkenny Live

North Kilkenny Fianna Fáil representative, Cllr Michael McCarthy had condemned a video released online last week which claimed an Urlingford complex is being prepared to host a large volume of 'undocumented' international migrants.

The footage has since gone viral across the Internet, with over 16,000 views and has created much frustration and confusion in the community.

A number of protests have taken place on the streets of the town on the back of the video, with banners erected including, 'Urlingford Says No' and 'Protect Our Children'.

The owner of the Josephine's Restaurant site, a well-known local family, has refuted the claims, and says the rumours are untrue.

Speaking to the Kilkenny People, Cllr McCarthy said the information being shared online is untrue, and that the building is only certified to accommodate a total of 48 people and is 'restricted' to Ukrainian use only as natives from the country continue to flee the Russian invasion.

"This has created an awful lot of hardship for the family (Kavanaghs) and the town of Urlingford. The rhetoric they’ve come out with is totally and utterly untrue," he said.

The North Kilkenny councillor noted that many of the people who will take up residence on the premises will be working for the Kavanagh family and contributing to the local economy.

Cllr McCarthy went on to express fears that the situation may escalate. 

"I would be afraid it could escalate before it gets better and I would be afraid of the danger of criminality of course."

On Friday, an eyewitness told the Kilkenny People the demonstration appeared to be getting 'heated' after Gardaí arrived on the scene.

In response to last week's video, Urlingford's Bernard Kavanagh & Sons Ltd issued a statement refuting 'falsified claims' surrounding the redevelopment of the former Josephine's Restaurant site.

"The site is currently being redeveloped and repurposed to accommodate both Ukrainian people and their families, who are fleeing the war in their country, and staff of the company," they said.

"We currently have a number of Ukrainian people working in our group of companies and we will continue to support them and their families during this time of unrest in Ukraine.

"Once the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine comes to an end the company intends to utilise the building to cater for our staff, as well as a base for the business headquarters for the company.

"The owners were this week made aware of a misleading video being shared across social media, which has prompted a series of negative and unjust comments surrounding the plans for the site in question," they continued.

"The false allegations being made in the post claim that the building is being developed to house International Protection (IP) Migrants; a claim that is 'absolutely and wholeheartedly untrue'."

See this week's Kilkenny People newspaper for more...