08/06/2025
*My personal reflections on recent events in Saggart*
I wasn’t sure whether to share this publicly, but after everything in recent weeks, I think it’s important. These are my personal reflections, shared in the hope they encourage respectful dialogue and give a space to positive community values.
In the past year, I’ve stepped back from this public page and returned to working more quietly on local issues. But the past few weeks have shown how important it is to speak up again.
There’s been a lot of tension in our village since news broke about the potential sale of the Citywest Hotel for permanent use as an IPAS centre. It’s raised genuine concerns, but also assumptions, division, and language that’s made many local residents feel uneasy. Because I’ve previously spoken out against anti-immigrant sentiment, some have assumed I would encourage the sale, and I’ve been targeted as a result.
I want to be clear: I support Ireland’s responsibility to provide protection and dignity to people seeking asylum, and I believe in the need for purpose-built IPAS centres that are planned, properly resourced, and integrated into communities.
I don’t believe Citywest, intended as a temporary, emergency facility, is a suitable location for permanent use in its current form. Saggart currently does not have the infrastructure, services, or long-term planning needed to support such a transition in a way that is optimal either for existing residents or those seeking protection. But I also don’t believe the presence of the centre is the cause of all the problems being projected onto it.
Some of the most vocal voices in recent weeks clearly care about the village, and its important to recognise that intent. But there are also those, both in and outside the community, that seem focused on creating division, by spreading fear or targeting others. Some have expressed, or aligned with, anti-immigrant views that don’t reflect the values of many in our local community.
I’ve heard from many residents who reject that kind of rhetoric and their voices matter, even if they aren't always the loudest.
There’s a growing narrative that our village is unsafe and destroyed. As someone who lives in the centre of the village, I honestly just don’t see that. What we lack is proper investment in services and infrastructure, and that’s where our focus should be, not on projecting fear of others.
I’ve also seen the best of this community in recent weeks - people working calmly behind the scenes to support one another and find a way forward. I’ll continue to be part of that work alongside many other community advocates.
This has been a difficult time for us. Let’s encourage the voices that want unity, not division. Let’s keep advocating for what Saggart really needs, and let’s remember who we are as a community.
If any part of this resonates with you, I’d be grateful if you let me know in the comments because the more calm, respectful voices we hear in person and see on social media right now, the better.
