*Photograph: John Mangan
AN ELDERLY COROFIN man is to undergo an operation on Thursday after he was left hospitalised with non-life threatening injuries by persons opposed to the potential housing of asylum seekers in the locality.
Video footage surfaced over the weekend over a high volume of beds crammed into a vacant property in the isolated part of Scool between Dysart and Corofin with unconfirmed reports that this was set to house up to 40 asylum seekers, the garage on the property had also been renovated with beds put in there to increase the amount of men on site.
This led to a small protest taking place in Corofin en route to the property which was the location of the assault on Sunday evening.
The Clare Echo understands that a well-known local man in his seventies tried to gain access to the road on Sunday evening and did not recognise the individuals he came across with two men stopping him from getting past.
He had a torch shone in his face by individuals and tried to proceed past them and ended up being hit with the torch into the face. He sustained facial injuries which required stitches at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).
A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána told The Clare Echo, “Gardaí are making enquiries into an alleged assault which occurred in Corofin, Co.Clare on Sunday night”. No formal complaint is understood to have been issued to the Gardaí.
An ambulance was requested by the man which transported him to UHL, he was released from hospital on Monday.
Although he returned home earlier this week, the 72 year old is to undergo an operation on Thursday according to a close friend.
