The most recent official figures available show that 1,621 International Protection applicants (IPAs) are being accommodated in Co Tipperary.
As of the 7 January, 935 females and 686 men were being housed in the county.
Of the six counties in Munster, only Waterford has a smaller number of asylum seekers at present, with 1,206 residing there.
Figures from the Department of Integration show Kerry has 7,292 IPAs; Cork has 5,907. 3,763 people are being put up in Clare, while 2,096 are in Limerick.
According to the 2022 Census, Roscrea's total population is 5,542, comprising an almost equal split of 2,766 males and 2,776 females, (49.9% vs 51.1%).
Other data from the Central Statistics Office, via the Department of Social Protection, shows a total of 397 PPSN applications were made by Ukrainian nationals in the Roscrea / Templemore area, up to 15 January.
Details of the number of PPSN applications by Local Electoral Area (LEA) are contained in the CSO's Arrivals from Ukraine in Ireland series, which will be updated again next month.
These applicants are Ukrainians who are Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTP). Some of the individuals have since moved to another area.
There are four primary schools in the area, with a total attendance of 622 pupils.
A further 536 students are enrolled at Coláiste Phobal Ros Cré, with 265 attending the private Cistercian College.
Resources overstretched
Local Independent councillor Shane Lee said people in Roscrea remain opposed to the use of the Racket Hall to house asylum seekers because resources in the area are already overstretched.
Mr Lee condemned scuffles between gardaí and protesters yesterday but added that gardaí were "very heavy handed".
He said that people in Roscrea feel there are not enough services to back up the numbers arriving in the town.
However, he stressed that the town has already welcomed hundreds of people to the area.
"Roscrea has two active sites currently going on in town...Convent Hill, which is holding up to 320 to 400 people," Cllr Lee said.
"We also have the Sean Ross Abbey site in Sean Ross that's housing International Protection [applicants] as well. So, it's not as if this is the first rodeo in town. In fairness, the town is playing its part."
Meanwhile, a local community activist said that the events yesterday were "not ideal" but that there are two sides to every story.
"Since Covid we have had a shortage of services here," Derek Russell said, "and there has been a recent influx of people who are putting additional pressure on services".
He said that "the whole system is wrong" and badly thought out.
"People get annoyed when they get pushed to one side," he said.
He echoed Cllr Lee's call for Minister O'Gorman to come to Roscrea and listen to local concerns.
"He needs to come down and explain the way they're doing their business," Mr Russell said.
"And it will also send out the signal to the rest of Ireland that this is the way they're going to go about things.
"But at the moment, nobody knows what to do. And they're just landing in these people."
