Up to 17 asylum seekers have moved into a hotel in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, which has been the subject of protests in recent days.
The garda public order unit was present outside the Racket Hall Hotel early this afternoon while the international protection applicants, understood to be women and children, were being brought into the hotel premises.
There were stand-offs between protesters and gardaí as the operation took place and a significant number of gardaí remained present for some time.
There were up to 200 people protesting at one point.
About 40 protesters remain on the scene this afternoon and some gardaí are still present, although the public order unit has been stood down.
It is understood one man was arrested under the Public Order Act and later released.
The Government plans to house up to 160 asylum seekers in Racket Hall as it struggles to accommodate the number of people arriving in Ireland seeking international protection.
