Dromahair back in the spotlight

The former Abbey Manor Hotel in Dromahair has got the go ahead to house international protection applicants after the High Court this week rejected a bid by Leitrim County Council to block the plan and said work can proceed.
Last November a large crowd gathered outside the former hotel premises in Dromahair where works were being undertaken to prepare for the arrival of 155 international protection applicants, among them 31 single men.
Leitrim County Council issued High Court proceedings against Dromaprop Limited in February 2024 alleging the company intended to change the use of the Abbey Manor Hotel from “a specific form of tourist accommodation” to temporary use for asylum seekers and had carried out unauthorised work in preparation for the change.
Speaking to the Leitrim Observer following High Court decision, local Labour Party candidate Bernie Linnane welcomed the news.
“I'm glad there is clarity now on what the position is legally; that the hotel can go ahead now with welcoming international protection applicants. There has been so much confusion and rumours and supposition and scaremongering and all sorts of things happening around the village I think people must be pleased at least to see a line drawn under that.
However, Cllr Felim Gurn took a different view. He said that there is a lack of accommodation as it is. “I am dealing with four or five Irish people a day that cannot get accommodation and the houses they are living in are up for sale.”

Leitrim County Council in a short statement to the Leitrim Observer said it is currently examining the outcome of the court judgement and has no further comment to make at this time.
Local Independent councillor, Felim Gurn was scathing in his response to the news.
“The government has backed the decision to overrule council staff and councillors doing work on the ground.
“I'm stunned that now, at a time the HSE is in crisis and people are waiting for procedures for up to two years and are having to travel to Northern Ireland to get procedures done, that this is going ahead.
“It's adding more people into a system that is totally not able to cater to what's on the ground.
“To add 220 people to a community where resources are scarce and schools, primary care centres and people are waiting a long time for a doctor's appointment is going to add fuel to the fire.
“The government has no control over the amount of emigrants coming into Ireland and is not able to deal with 13,000 homeless people that are sleeping on the streets and have been since this government formed. Nothing has been done to alleviate that problem,” he said.
He continued, “At a time when 80% of arrivals are coming from Northern Ireland, surely our Garda stations along the border should be manned and checkpoints set up. There are checkpoints for speeding, drink driving so surely they should try and get on top of this that people are travelling across the border to the south of Ireland coming from England.”
He said that there is a lack of accommodation as it is.
“I am dealing with four or five Irish people a day that cannot get accommodation and the houses they are living in are up for sale.”
However, Labour's Bernie Linnane remarked “Now our community can get on with the business of working together to make sure that the whole situation works out in the best way it can for all of us including our new neighbours.
When asked if she knew how many people would be coming to the hotel, Ms Linnane said that “the implication that was made in the original arrangement last year was for 155 people; 124 in families and 31 males so I don't know if there is any change in that and am not privy to that information but that would appear to be what we are looking at.”
There have been a number of arson attacks on properties linked to asylum seekers over the last number years and the Observer asked Ms Linnane if she would be concerned about a similar incident happening in the village.
“Arson is a word I hate the sound of and I would really hope that there is no one in Dromahair prepared to go to those sorts of lengths. I think we are a better community than that.
“There are decent people living in Dromahair who want to do the decent thing and I'm pretty sure that none of them would stoop to those levels.”
Asked how tensions and concerns can be eased for both locals and the incoming asylum seekers, she said. “The only way we can ever ease concerns about new people is to talk to them, engage with them and get to know them and reach out; I think that's what a community can do to make people welcome.
“When we talk to people, all of a sudden the fears and differences quite often dissipate because deep down we all want the same things; we all want a safe place to live,” she concluded.