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Travellers Reclaim Sligo Borough Council's Carpark

To the dismay of local residents and businesses in Sligo's Connaughton Road area the travellers who vacated the borough council's carpark en masse have returned and reclaimed the illegal encampment.

A mass exodus of the travellers in March leaving only one caravan on the site offered, most believed, Sligo Borough Council an ideal opportunity to reclaim the carpark on behalf of it's citizens. However following weeks of inactivity, the council issued a statement saying that they 'were considering their options'.

With no 'options' implemented, the traveller clan came back at the weekend, with more arriving yesterday. When SLIGO TODAY visited the 'site' yesterday, some people were busy preparing further areas for more caravans expected today and tomorrow.

Several residents and business people expressed their horror that the council done nothing to sort out the problem. One person, not wishing to be identified said, "What is wrong with this council, as soon as the travellers left, they should have put council trucks in there or boulders to stop them coming back. We all knew they'd be back, were the council asleep?"

The Borough Council told SLIGO TODAY, "Sligo Borough Council is aware of the movement of mobile homes at Connaughton Road car-park. In your relation to your query regarding the securing of the car-park, at no time in recent weeks was there an opportunity for Sligo Borough Council to act in a different manner. This is a complex issue and is being monitored on an ongoing basis."

This statement has not been well received by local residents who are accusing the council of ignoring the 'illegal squatters'. According to one, "This is grossly unfair, we pay our mortgage for a view of dirt and squalor. We thought that the council would have moved in as soon as they left two months ago. But nothing. We have to watch the gardai raiding the place. This is a disgrace, the council should hang their heads in shame, they done nothing, not a thing."

Sligo developers, Martin and John O'Connor had to break through their Holborn Street premises to gain access to their site which the travellers refused to allow them pass through the carpark. This has resulted in orders from the council to restore the dilapidated demolished building to it's original state.
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