Locals who organised a referendum in Watergrasshill in Cork to gauge public opinion as to whether a bar and restaurant in the area should be turned into a refugee centre, have suggested that other areas should follow suit with the strategy because it ensures the voices of local people are heard.
The vote, which locals say they aware has no legal standing, was organised after it became known that the premises known as The Fir Tree in Watergrasshill was the subject of a letter of intent from the Department of Integration, and that an application for an exemption from planning permission had been made.
The pub had been in operation in the area since the mid-2000s, but had been closed following a fire in July of 2023. Locals who spoke to Gript said they had initially hoped it would continue to operate as a venue that would service the community.
John O’Mahony, who was one of the organisers of a public meeting in the area in August after the letter of intent was made known, said that a decision had been made at that first meeting to hold the referendum because it was felt that there was widespread opposition to the asylum centre, and they had seen in other areas how local opinion was ignored.
He said that everyone who voted in the local referendum on Sunday in Watergrasshill (September 1st) gave their names and address to the organisers, and were asked for identification to ensure they were residents and that no-one voted twice. Votes were put into a sealed box at a makeshift polling station between 10am and 10pm, and a chartered accountant opened up the box to count the votes after voting had closed, cross-referencing the details with the list of people who had given their names before voting, Mr O’Mahony said.
The ballot paper read: “Do you consent to the Fir Tree Bar and Restaurant being used to accommodate refugees and/or asylum seekers”, with a check box for Yes and No. According to the organisers the results were – Total votes: 357. Votes for the refugee centre:10. Votes against: 345. Spoiled Votes: 2.
“That’s a 96% ‘No’ to the asylum centre in Watergrasshill,” Mr O’Mahony said, “it was a great demonstration to the government that they are acting directly against the wishes of the people.”
He said that the turnout amounted to 32% of the voting population of Watergrasshill, which he said was “remarkable” given that the referendum had been organised entirely by volunteers, including several women who had got together to go door-to-door in part of the village which is north east of Cork city.
“There’s definitely a nervousness from some people about expressing their opinion about immigration, so the size of the turnout was very significant,” he said. “The result speaks for itself: there’s huge opposition to turning The Fir Tree into an asylum centre in the community.”
“We wanted to run the referendum in the most transparent fashion possible,” he added. “And if the vote had gone the other way, we’d have accepted that result as well.”
Mr O’Mahony said that the local organisers wanted to deliver a message to government: “You are acting against the will of the people, you cannot bring huge amounts of people in overnight to this area; they cannot be integrated overnight, and people are opposed to mass migration – they don’t want it. The vote shows that oppositon was huge in the area.”
He added that people were not happy with large numbers of people who were arriving into the country without documentation, and then being brought to communities such as Watergrasshill without consultation or any regard for local concerns.
“We’re thinking of our own children and grandchildren and how difficult it is for young people now too,” he said. “They can’t buy houses, they are emigrating, they feel they have no future, but the government is well able to act to assist other people, it doesn’t seem fair.”
“We have a very diverse population here in Watergrasshill already,” Mr O’Mahony added, saying the referendum because it was a peaceful and democratic way to gauge people’s opinions. “The government could call a referendum if they wanted,” he said. “But they don’t want to give the people a voice on this issue.”
He suggested that other areas with similar concerns could follow Watergrasshill in holding a local referendum, saying the strategy gave people a chance to voice their opinion.
He rejected criticisms from Cork North Central Solidarity TD, Mick Barry, who had described the poll as a “total sham” and claimed it was being organised by the “racist far-right”.
“More consultation, more information, more facilities and more resources — all these are needed. But there can be no veto and no place for racism and division,” Mr Barry had said before the local referendum was held.
Sinn Féin TD for the same area, Thomas Gould, said that the organisation of the poll “was a clear sign that elements of the far right are trying to manipulate people in Watergrasshill and “drive a wedge” between people where there isn’t one”.
However, Mr O’Mahony said that the referendum had been organised by local people, and that opinion polls had repeatedly shown that the Irish people wanted controls on immigration. “This was an entirely peaceful way of letting people’s voices be heard,” he said. “If we protest, they call us ‘far-right’; if we hold a public meeting, they call us ‘far-right’; if we organise a local vote, they call us ‘far-right’. What they are really doing is labelling the vast majority of people as ‘far-right’ just because they disagree with them.”
Immigration activist Derek Blighe, who supported the holding of the referendum, also rejected the criticisms, saying the “labels” were being used to silence people.
“My understanding of the objectives of the locals in holding the referendum was to show consensus on the issue, and to gather public opinion,” he said.
“Mick Barry came down to Watergrasshill and protested a public meeting the organisers were having: he brought people down from Cork City to protest the locals – and they were waving rainbow flags and Palestinians flags, which has nothing to do with the local issue,” he claimed, referring to a counter-protest organised by the Solidarity TD who described it as an “anti-racist” protest.
An anti-racist protest was held on the plaza in Watergrasshill this afternoon and attended by 40 people. The gathering was a counterprotest against an organising meeting for a racist "referendum" initiated by the far right on the issue of Ukrainian refugees coming to the village. pic.twitter.com/1tGpnRyJnR
— Mick Barry TD (@MickBarryTD) August 25, 2024
He said the left-wing TDs had “told people not to go and vote” adding “but clearly people didn’t listen to them, because people want their voices heard on the issue”.
Mr Blighe said that while the local referendum was not legally binding, it showed consensus in the community. “Why would anyone who supports democracy oppose these local initiatives allowing people to make their voices heard,” he sais.
He said that he had garnered 38,000 votes when he was eliminated in the EU elections in June and that immigration would be a top issue in the national elections expected to be called before the end of the year. Mr Blighe will face off against both Mr Gould and Mr Barry in that election, as all three are expected to stand in Cork North Central.