There are around 300 people living in Rosscahill on the outskirts of Connemara, and amongst them there are Chinese, Indian and Malaysian residents, who have married into the small rural community and have been happily integrated for many years.
Many of them have been left deeply upset by the weekend's fire at the Ross Lake Hotel, which had been due to accommodate 70 asylum seekers.
Professor Afshin Samali has lived in Rosscahill for 14 years with his Irish wife Adrienne and adult children Dara and Maeve.
He came to Ireland 38 years ago, having fled persecution in Iran and he now works as a cancer biology scientist at University of Galway.
He went to school in Sligo before going on to study medicine.
He had no English when he arrived in 1985. His family first escaped from Iran to Pakistan for a year before coming to Ireland as part of a resettlement programme for the Baháʼí minority religious group.
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He lives just a few kilometres from the Ross Lake Hotel, and his family also house a refugee from Afghanistan and some students from the university.
He said: "I'm shocked to see this can happen in my neighbourhood, all my neighbours are shocked and surprised by the turn of events here.
"I have never experiences racism myself, but I have heard from my students who have experiences racism in the city and elsewhere in the country.
"The fact that I haven’t experienced it here in Rosscahill, in the area I have lived for the last 14 years, I’ve seen only kindness, hospitality, and generosity from the people.
"It is some elements coming from the outside of the community, and it is shocking to us in the neighbourhood, in the community to see this can happen on our back steps.
"There is a lot of fear mongering, I have seen messages being forwarded into WhatsApp groups that I’m in from outside and it creates concerns amongst friends and neighbours."
He said the messages concerned "a lot of single men being brought into our neighbourhoods" and added that those messages insinuated that women in the community might not be safe.
Prof Samali said he feels there is a need for consultations, or spaces so that people can "have these discourses", but added that he believes there should be strong legislation against hate speech and racism as well.
When people are desperate to be accommodated, they should be put anywhere that is available to take them, he added.
Among those who have condemned last weekend's incident was Taoiseach Leo Varadkar who said he believed most people in the country empathised with those fleeing terrible circumstances and recognised the benefits that legal migration, in general, brought to Ireland.
This is not the first time there has been moves to stop asylum seekers being accommodated in the region.
In 2019 plans for an accommodation centre at the former Connemara Gateway Hotel in Oughterard were halted following weeks of round-the-clock protests.
The Irish Refugee Council say the fire in Rosscahill followed a pattern of arson attacks on properties where international protection applicants were due to be accommodated.
It is now unclear where the 70 male asylum seekers due to arrive at the Ross Lake Hotel this week will go.
Fine Gael's Hildegarde Naughton condemned the fire which took place in her Galway West constituency. She said the Government needs to improve its communication regarding the housing of asylum-seekers and do more to counter misinformation
"Violence and criminality is not representative of the views of the overwhelming majority of people in Galway.
"Violent behaviour and violent speech is no way to find solutions - it does nothing more than create division and fear amongst communities.
"Our system for processing International Protection in Ireland is one that is rules based - firm but fair.
"I have spoken to Minister Roderic O’Gorman today and will continue to do so in the days and weeks ahead. I have emphasised that timely and meaningful engagement is an absolute must and he has given assurances that this will take place in the time ahead."
Ms Naughton’s comments followed those of Fianna Fáil councillors Noel Thomas and Seamus Walsh, who said that although they in no way condoned the criminal damage incident at the weekend, they understood the "fears and concerns" of local people and supported the protests.
There are currently around 200 applicants with no accommodation. It is unclear where the 70 asylum seekers due to arrive in Rosscahill will go now.
