Racket Hall protestors to hold march through Roscrea town

Protests in Roscrea against the decision to repurpose Roscrea's Racket Hall Hotel as emergency accommodation for asylum seekers are set to escalate this weekend.

Organisers behind the ongoing marathon protest at Racket Hall will shift their focus to the town centre this Saturday, January 20, and plan to hold a demonstration on Castle Street after marching from Racket Hall on the N7 (old Dublin road).

The march will pass the closed Damer Court Hotel (formerly Grant's) which is currently being examined by government for its feasibility to be resurrected as a state-owned 'community hotel.'

The protest will begin at 2:30pm and protestors have called on social media for a cavalcade of "tractors, bikes and lorries" to join the march through the town.

Organisers and local people supporting the protest are meeting outside the Racket Hall this Thursday night at 7pm to finalise details for Saturday's event.

CHAMBER MEETING FOR BUSINESSES

Meanwhile, Roscrea's Chamber of Commerce will host a meeting in the Abbey Hall focused on the loss of the town's only active hotel.

Businesses owners from Roscrea have been invited to the meeting at 8pm on Thursday night to discuss the impact the loss of the hotel is expected to inflict upon the local economy.

Protests are continuing outside the Racket Hall currently, where protestors keep a presence but don't demonstrate after 10pm to prevent any disturbance which might affect the 17 international protection applicants accommodated in the hotel since Monday.