By Sean Moriarty

People are living in fear as a result of a large number of males acting aggressively in Killarney town.

RESPECT: Cllr Donal Grady says the new arrivals are not respecting Killarney town.

A video was widely shared on social media showing women being harassed by a group of men - believed to be asylum seekers - who were also engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour on College Square in recent days.

According to the Department of Children, Equality Disability, Integration, and Youth there are almost 600 International Protection applicants (asylum seekers) living in various accommodation centres in Killarney.

Outside of Dublin, county Kerry has the highest number of refugees and asylum seekers nationally which currently stands at 4,708.

The town has hosted International Protection seekers for the best part of 20 years but that has increased dramatically in recent weeks due to the Government's commitment to house an uncapped number of refugees.

There was widespread controversy last month when Ukrainian families were given 48 hours’ notice to leave a hotel to make way for hundreds of male asylum seekers.

After a public outcry, the decision to move the Ukrainian families was reversed.

However, it has since transpired that the 217 male asylum seekers were also taken into a hotel in town, as well as 100 women and children.

“Nowhere else would take the asylum seekers, no one,” Mayor Niall Kelleher told this week’s Killarney Municipal District meeting.

Since the arrival of the most recent group of International Protection seekers locals have expressed their concerns for their own safety.

Several readers have contacted the Killarney Advertiser outlining their concerns while several more have been in touch with their local councillors.

“They [the new arrivals] are the ones causing all the trouble. They are not respecting our town. There are people afraid to walk down the Park Road,” Cllr Donal Grady told the Killarney Advertiser.

“I know for a fact that there are people actually afraid to walk the streets or walk down along the road. I’m not being dramatic. I’m telling you the truth,” Cllr Marie Moloney told this week’s Killarney Municipal District meeting.