'I am not a criminal': Family faces arrest and eviction as Meath home set for demolition

Vivienne Clarke

“I don’t want to be arrested at Dublin Airport. I am not a criminal. This is a civil matter, it should have been sorted out 20 years ago,” says Rose Murray, the woman, who, along with her husband Chris, is subject to an arrest warrant as their home in Bohermeen, Co Meath, is due to be demolished today.

The house was built in 2006 without planning permission and was the subject of numerous legal challenges between the Murrays and Meath County Council in the High Court, Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.

Rose Murray told Newstalk’s Claire Byrne show that the couple knew they had made a mistake.

“It was too big. We put our hands up 20 years ago to say we’re trying to fix the situation, but there’s no negotiating with them.”

“It's barbaric what they were doing to us. Sending in 20 masked balaclava men into the house the other morning. What did they need that for? Absolutely barbaric."

Murray said they had two live appeals before the European Court of Human Rights, but in the meantime, they would just have to move on with their lives.

She did not know where they were going to go. Their children were staying with friends at present.

When asked if they would go to a B&B, Murray said no.

“The children are not going to go to a B&B in this day and age with all the homeless people, refugees coming into the country. It's barbaric that you can pay your taxes in this country all your life and then be treated like that and put into a bed and breakfast.”

She said she would not watch the house being demolished.

“I'm staying away until the order is lifted for my arrest so that I can actually come into the country.”