Three people arrested following Dundalk protest

Hundreds of people gathered at the former St. Joseph's female orphanage and industrial school at Seatown Place in Dundalk on Sunday evening as an anti-immigrant protest and counter-demonstration took place over the plans to house Ukrainian refugees in the building.

The anti-immigrant protest was organised to demonstrate against the plans to accommodate 260 displaced Ukrainian refugees in the former orphanage.

The protestors were met by a loud counter-demonstration with people lined up on the street in front of the former industrial school under a large banner saying “Dundalk Stands with Immigrants” chanting “refugees are welcome here”.

On the opposite side of the street, protestors stood in front of banners saying “Dundalk Says No” with many holding Irish flags and one banner reading “Dump woke politicians. Elect patriots. Ireland is full.”

VIDEO: Counter-demonstrators and anti-immigrant protestestors in Dundalk

Counter-demonstrators outside the former orphange where refugees are to be housed and anti-immigrant protesters on the other side of the street divided by gardai

There was a strong garda presence with uniformed officers and members of the Public Order Unit dividing the two groups.

There were a number of speakers at the anti-immigrant protest, including candidates who failed to win seats in the recent local election.

Among the speakers addressing the gathered crowd was the Irish Freedom Party's Hermann Kelly and Tracy O'Hanlon.

As speakers urged gathered supporters to stand up and oppose the plans to house refugees in the former orphanage, counter-demonstrators across the road banged on drums and chanted loudly “immigrants welcome here”.

Members of the Mary Wallopers were among the counter-demonstrators and led songs over a megaphone.

There was a strong garda presence with uniformed gardai and members of the Public Order Unit making a ring in the middle of the road between the anti-immigrant protesters and the counter-demonstrators.

Despite tensions being high the protests ended peacefully and without incident after nearly an hour and a half when the counter-demonstrators left via Castle Road while gardai cordoned off the street keeping the two groups divided.

However, after the two groups dispersed some who left via Jocelyn Street were involved in a public order incident on the street.

Gardai confirmed yesterday that three people were arrested for public order offences in Dundalk on Sunday evening following the protests.

A garda spokesman said: “Gardaí attended the scene of a public gathering on Jocelyn Street in Dundalk, Co.Louth, yesterday, Sunday 21st July 2024.”

“Following the gathering, when the crowd was dispersing, Gardaí arrested three men for public order offences.

“All three have been released from custody.”