THE influx of holidaymakers into west Donegal is causing widespread resentment among people in the county, it has been claimed.
While there was evidence that the huge Garda border clampdown was having an effect in Inishowen yesterday, there were reports of restrictions on movement being widely ignored in areas along the west coast.
Cross border traffic was further restricted with PSNI checkpoints in northern border areas. Motorists who could not verify that their journeys were necessary were told to return home in Derry, Strabane and other northern border towns.
Gardaí mounted border checkpoints on all major roads into Donegal yesterday, turning back any motorist who could not prove their journey was essential. Anyone with luggage in their car or without documentary proof that their journey was essential was turned back at the border.
The checkpoints are part of Operation Fanacht (Operation Stay) which was launched on Wednesday to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The operation will continue until Easter Monday.
While holidaymakers travelling to Donegal were being turned back, visitors who had already arrived at second homes and mobile homes were being ordered to remain there until after Easter.
In the initial hours of Operation Fanacht, there were widespread reports of visitors flaunting the rules by travelling at night and using cross border back roads which were not covered by checkpoints.
The continued influx of northern holidaymakers in some areas sparked a bitter online backlash with local people criticising second home owners.
A number of Donegal county councillors contacted by The Irish News said restrictions appeared to be having an impact in some parts of the county yesterday, Friday. However, in Gweedore, Downings, Portsalon and Portnoo, there was concern that visitors had ignored government guidelines.
Sinn Féin councillor John Seamais Ó Fearraigh said a lot of visitors arrived in Gweedore since Wednesday.
“The area’s busy enough in the last few days. It’s wrong to say this is about people coming from the 'six counties', there are a lot of Dublin and Meath registrations as well.
“It’s unbelievable that people are still ignoring the guidelines and travelling to there area,” he said.
Mr Ó Fearraigh said the influx of visitors was causing resentment among locals.
“People here are observing the government’s 2km movement rule and they’re annoyed that people from outside the area aren’t,” he said.
Mr Ó Fearraigh said he was aware of similar concerns in Downings, Portnoo and Portsalon, areas traditionally popular with Belfast visitors.
In Inishowen, where there had been serious concern over numbers of northern visitors in recent weeks.
Moville Labour councillor Martin Farren said the area round Moville, Greencastle and Stroove was noticeably quieter yesterday morning.
“There is some evidence that it (Garda restrictions) is working but we’ll have to see what happens over the weekend,” he said.
In Buncrana, Fianna Fáil councillor, Rena Donaghy said there was no doubt that roads and beaches were quieter than earlier in the week.
“If we get this wrong this weekend, we will be in a very dark place. We must hold the line against this virus,” she said.
