The John Brady Memorial Flute Band and, inset, Sean Scott delivers the oration. Photos: North West Newspix
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06 Apr 2026
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06 Apr 2026
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Riot gardai omn standby in Letterkenny and (inset) Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce President Jimmy Stafford. (North West Newspix)
Businesses in Letterkenny were frustrated at what they say was a lack of engagement ahead of two demonstrations in the town on Saturday.
The Letterkenny Peaceful Assembly/Protest Against Illegal Immigration and a counter-protest, United Against Racism, took place back-to-back.
Shops, on what should have been one of their busiest days of the year, were eerily quiet. For some, the shutters came down.
One prominent businessman estimated that traders across the town were cost “millions in lost revenue” and suggested that the events could have been held at a location outside of the town centre.
Some roads in the heart of the town were sealed off from around 10am as gardai braced for a tense afternoon.
However, businesses in the town say they were not consulted about many of the arrangements.
The President of the Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce, Mr Jimmy Stafford, said traders were frustrated by this.
“Had our members known that the road was going to close from 10am, they may have made a decision to close or made alternative arrangements with staff,” he told Donegal Live.
“There was no consultation with the Chamber by the authorities.
“We accept that there is a right to protest. Everybody has a right to protest from either side. The issue for us is just the lack of consultation around what was going to happen today from a road closure perspective and no parking for cars.
“Some of our members have spoken to me today. This should be one of their busiest days of the year. The May Bank Holiday is the kicking off of the summer period, there are a lot of tourists in down and the good weather. Their trade is decimated.”
Mr Stafford said that the Chamber has had a long-standing working relationship with the authorities in relation to major events in Letterkenny.
Read next: Large crowds attend protests as Letterkenny comes to a standstill
He added: “Our members respect the right to protest from all sides. The lack of consultation is the thing for us.
“Had we been consulted around road closures, timing, parking and barriers, we could have put our members on notice.
“There are learnings from this going forward around consultation and keeping us in the loop.”
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