Achill: the timeline

Protesters outside the ‘Ponderosa’ at the Achill Head HotelMichael Dillon

Wednesday morning/afternoon, October 23 Word spreads around Achill Island that a local hotel will be used to house asylum seekers and that the refugees would arrive during the week.

Wednesday evening, October 23 Roughly 200 people attend a public meeting on Achill; a member of the media is asked to leave. Locals state that islanders aired frustration that they were not consulted by the Department of Justice on the plan, but some also ...