Activist Stephen Kerr to run for Mayo County Council in Castlebar

A man who has been outspoken against the level of immigration into Mayo has announced that he is running in the upcoming local elections.

Stephen Kerr, a native of Breaffy and the founder of Irish Inquiry online media platform, has announced that he will run for Mayo County Council in the Castlebar Local Electoral Area as an Independent. 

A founder of HOME (Holistic Outlook on the Migration Emergency), Mr Kerr has organised several public demonstrations in the Castlebar area and has attended protests at properties mooted to house asylum seekers across Mayo.

He has also attended several meetings of Mayo County Council – including one meeting which was attended by gardaí after he and another man, Liam Heffernan, interrupted proceedings.

In a statement announcing his candidacy, Mr Kerr said there was no long-term planning, insufficient services, and a lack of integration strategies to deal with the increased number of immigrants living in Mayo.

The county is currently home to at least 2,342 Ukrainian refugees and 1,396 international protection applicants, many of whom have arrived in Mayo since the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Kerr has been openly critical of Mayo county councillors, stating that their “basic promises to tidy the town or maintain parks and playgrounds are not enough anymore, given that Castlebar residents are facing much more pressing issues.”

He expressed fears that a ‘mass immigration policy of open borders’ posed a threat to employment opportunities, local services and resources, claiming that the people of Castlebar ‘are not being listened to’. 

“Many locals are disillusioned with their current representatives and feel there is no oppositional voice. They’ve been told that there is nothing that can be done to stop what’s happening. But this isn’t true,” he stated.

“I believe a lot of the work I’ve done for the past two years has gone a long way to informing the Mayo community about matters current councillors are silent on.”

He continued: “I believe I’ve done more to represent the people than they [the councillors] have, and I intend to continue to proactively address the issues at hand, with courage and integrity. I will speak the truth loudly and will encourage locals to stand with me, as when enough people stand together, we can achieve so much.”

Mr Kerr has criticised property owners who have received government payments for providing accommodation to asylum seekers and refugees under ‘the guise of humanitarian duty’.

Last year, he objected to the renewal of the Breaffy Woods Hotel’s liquor license on the grounds that it was solely providing accommodation for Ukrainians and was no operating as a hotel.

The hotel’s legal representative initially said they would be contesting the objection but withdrew their application when the case was heard last December.

Mr Kerr has several years of experience in media production, which includes past experience with Castlebar’s CRCFM and Setanta Sports.

He has described local farmers and businessowners as ‘unappreciated and overburdened’ and has promised to address ‘the lack of adequate vital services and housing’ in his area.