An Irish water application formed is burned at the protest march today. Pic by Donegal Daily.
A massive crowd of more than 7,000 people has turned out in Letterkenny to send a message to Government that locals will not pay the water charges.
The huge crowd marched from the Port Roundabout to Market Square where speaker after speaker sent a message back to Dail Eireann and Irish Water.
The huge crowd, which included families and many children, was one of the biggest protest marches in living memory.
Part of the massive crowd of more than 7,000 at Market Square in Letterkenny. Pic by Donegal Daily.
Other rallies took place across Donegal in both Lifford where more than 1,000 people turned up while in Ballyshannon a large crowd of more than 3,000 people turned out.
A number of people brought forward their Irish Water Registration forms which were burnt in a barbeque to cheers from the crowd.
People carried banners including one which read ‘Irish Water Can Fliuch Off.’
Through the march the crowd chanted slogans including ‘From the rivers to the sea, Irish water will be free.’
A number of speakers addressed the crowd including TDs Thomas Pringle (IND) and Padraig Mac Lochalinn (SF).
The huge crowd walks up Letterkenny’s Port Road. PIc by North West News Pics.
Deputy Pringle received a huge response when he told the crowd “I have a message for the Government – shove your water taxes back where they came from.”
Deputy Mac Lochlainn said Irish politicians in Brussels had become too used to drinking wine and eating cheese to remember that Irishness was about being part of a community and being decent.
Other speakers included Charlie McDyer from the Can’t Pay Won’t Pay Group, Martin Mooney from Letterkenny Against Water Charges, Eoin Curran form the Cloughnaeely Anti-Water Charges group, Corinna McCallig from Donegal Says No and Joe Murphy from Donegal Action Against Austerity.
A number of other politicians and county councillors including Deputy Pearse Doherty, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, Cllr Marie-Therese Gallagher, Cllr Ciaran Brogan, Mayor of Donegal Cllr John Campbell, Cllr Paul Canning, Cllr Martin McDermott, Cllr Frank McBrearty, Cllr Gary Doherty, Cllr Jack Murray, Cllr James Pat McDaid and Cllr John McLaughlin were also present.
One interested spectator was Sinn Fein’s John Downey who sparked a huge political storm when he was arrested but released for questioning in relation to the Hyde Park Bombing.
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