A crowd of more than 100 people took part in a demonstration in support of refugees in Waterford City on Saturday afternoon.
Initially, it was understood that a protest against the housing of asylum seekers - similar to the ones seen in Dublin and other parts of the country - would take place.
However, just a handful of people are reported to have turned up on Broad Street for that purpose.
Instead, people from Waterford and other counties gathered to chant and display signs in support of those coming into Ireland, with some bearing the slogan 'Waterford welcomes refugees' and 'Who lives here, belongs here'.
There was a strong Garda presence in case of any clashes.
Some of the reasons given by those opposing the housing of refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland told WLR at Saturday's event that they feel they are contributing to the housing crisis and are being prioritised unfairly.
However, the majority of those gathered felt the blame for the housing crisis lies not with refugees but solely with the government, which they say has failed to take action on the thousands of vacant properties around the country.
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