Steel barriers and a visible Garda presence remain around Citywest several days after violent unrest broke out in the nearby village of Saggart in southwest Dublin.
The main gates to the Citywest complex are open only to pedestrians, reports RTE.
A 26-yr-old man has been charged in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 10-yr-old girl close to the Citywest Hotel.
What had been intended as a peaceful vigil on Tuesday evening quickly descended into violence, reports RTE.
Approximately 2,000 people took part in the demonstration, which turned chaotic despite a Garda presence of around 300 officers.
Nicola Maguire, who grew up in Saggart, attended the Citywest complex on Tuesday to light a candle, reports RTE.
“Words fail me to describe what actually happened and what I witnessed,
“It was one of the most frightening experiences of my life,” Ms Maguire said, reports RTE.
“I was running a bit late from work, so I went in and ran down very quickly and was planning to meet people down there.
“I walked through the gates of Citywest to where everyone was standing and it was only when I settled myself that I realised I did not recognise one single person around me,” reports RTE.
Ms Maguire said that most of those around her were men, and she was standing next to only one other woman when she noticed people pulling balaclavas over their faces.
“It all just became like a movie set in the worst possible way,” she said, reports RTE.
Ms Maguire is unsure how long she stayed in the complex before leaving and walking back up the village toward her home.
On her way, she tried to stop curious children from heading down to the hotel to see what was happening, reports RTE.
Later, Ms Maguire and another resident saw a young woman waiting at a bus stop and approached her to explain that buses were not running.
“This girl was in a terrible state,” Ms Maguire said, reports RTE.
“She’d never been to Saggart before, she was absolutely petrified.
“And she was petrified because of the colour of her skin. She didn’t feel safe,” reports RTE.
Ms Maguire said she tried to comfort the woman and assure her that locals would help her get home safely.
The arrival of the riot squad into the village only intensified the sense of fear, reports RTE.
Like many other residents, Ms Maguire believes the Government has not listened to the concerns of people living in Saggart.
She rejected claims that Government representatives had held meaningful talks with the local community, reports RTE.
Earlier this week, she sent a letter to the Taoiseach, which was seen by RTÉ’s *This Week*, writing: “For months, the residents of Saggart have engaged only in peaceful protest, and yet we have received no support, no dialogue, and no acknowledgment from you or your party.
“You have chosen to ignore us,” reports RTE.
Like many in the area, Ms Maguire admitted she feels angry but emphasised that her frustration does not come with “any violent intentions”.
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“It’s anger that we have been ignored for so long,” she said, reports RTE.
Parish priest Father Joseph Ryan lives less than 200 metres from the main entrance to the Citywest complex in Saggart.
“I went down [on Tuesday] to have a snoop and see what was going on,” he said, reports RTE.
“To see the crowds, to see the tear gas, to see the petrol bombs, whatever it was that was going on, I didn’t stay too long. I turned and came back very quick,” he said, reports RTE.
Anne Sullivan, a mother of two who has lived in Saggart for seven years, is a member of the Saggart Guardians group campaigning against the Government’s purchase of the Citywest complex. She has attended a number of peaceful demonstrations outside the site, reports RTE.
Ms Sullivan, like other residents, believes there has been inadequate engagement between the Department of Justice, the Government, and the Saggart community regarding the facility.
Asked why she thought Tuesday’s protest turned violent, Ms Sullivan said she could not comment on that, reports RTE.
“I came down here on Tuesday evening. I had a candle in my pocket to light, leave and walk back to my home on Tuesday night,” she said.
Ms Sullivan said she never lit her candle, instead leaving when she realised the gathering was no longer peaceful, reports RTE.
“I felt fear [on Tuesday evening] … you have to accept that there is an issue in order to evoke change. This is not about having your amenity back or having your hotel back and having your gathering spot back,” reports RTE.
Saggart is a small village with a main street featuring a few shops, a church, a school, a pub, a restaurant and a chipper. According to the 2022 census, it is Ireland’s “youngest” small town, with an average age just over 30.
The village’s population has more than doubled between the 2011 and 2022 censuses, reports RTE.
“It really has increase since the Luas came,” said Enda Roche, a resident of Saggart since 1959.
Ms Roche said she and other locals had warned the Government that an incident like the alleged assault on Monday could fuel further unrest, reports RTE.
“We warned them,” she said, reports RTE.
Currently, around 1,200 people are being housed in the hotel facilities at Citywest, the majority of whom are Ukrainian refugees.
An additional 460 adults are staying in the Transit Hub located on the same campus, reports RTE.
Since November 2024, the Citywest complex has been used to process International Protection applications for arriving families. While many do not stay long, it is typically their first stop upon arrival in Ireland.
The site also includes a privately operated restaurant, reports RTE.
Just before 6pm on Tuesday, Camilla Grey, who runs the Lemongrass Fusion restaurant in Citywest, was told by her landlord, Tetrarch, that the business had to close.
Ms Grey is still unsure when she will be allowed to reopen the 200-seat restaurant, reports RTE.
She said that even before last week’s events, business had already dropped significantly over the past year.
According to Ms Grey, the restaurant’s location within the Citywest campus has divided local opinion, reports RTE.
“Some people are still trying to support the restaurant, still trying to support me,” she said.
“A lot of others have been very direct and vocal in their refusal to come onto the campus,” reports RTE.
Independent councillor Francis Timmons said the violent demonstrations earlier this week were “not good for the village”, reports RTE.
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