By Roisin Henderson

THE organiser of an anti-immigration protest in Bundoran has apologised to a Sinn Féin councillor whose family were abused at their home by a mob last week.

There was shock locally as the protesters targeted the home of Cllr Michael McMahon during an event on the weekend before last.

In recent times, there has been a lot of brewing tension in the south Donegal town over a proposed IPAS centre, which is a type of accommodation facility set up by the Irish government to house those seeking international protection.

During the recent protest, a large group of demonstrators opposing the planned use of the Viscount Guesthouse as an IPAS centre gathered in Bundoran.

Despite Cllr McMahon previously voicing his own opposition to the plans for the guesthouse, this group made its way to his constituency office, which also happens to be his home.

The protesters filmed the encounter they had with female members of Cllr McMahon’s family when they arrived at the home.

The video shows one of the women attempting to address the crowd, who were waving tricolour flags, to let them know Cllr McMahon was not home.

One of the women also attempted to reason with the mob, explaining Cllr McMahon was a local councillor, not a member of the government, and therefore had no control or power over immigration policy.

In response, the crowd began loudly shouting ‘traitor’ and ‘Sinn Féin are traitors’ repeatedly at the family.

The organiser of the protest, John Molloy from Community Alliance, said he had apologised both directly and indirectly to Cllr McMahon and his family since the incident.

Vowing to continue to protest, Mr Molloy blamed the incident on “outside agitation” and said anyone who knows him would know it was never his intention to cause the family distress.

There has been an outpouring of support for Cllr McMahon and his family since the incident, both in Donegal and in his native Fermanagh – he originally hails from Belleek.

The Enniskillen-based Tom Flately Sinn Féin Cumman said Cllr McMahon’s home had been “targeted in a completely unjustified, disgusting fascist protest.”

“Micky has been standing up for the people of Bundoran and further afield for decades,” they said.