Mr Leyden was first elected to Roscommon County Council 50 years ago before being elected to Dáil Éireann in 1977.

There were extremely heavy tailbacks, especially on the Boyle Road, throughout the weekend, when the Carrick Carnival was on.

The protesters say they will protest again tomorrow and on Friday, when the local elections take place.

The announcement was made today by the Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys with the funding earmarked for outdoor recreation projects.

The HSE put the freeze in place last year after its chief executive, Bernard Gloster, said the level of state funding wasn't adequate.

Around 200 people attended a demonstration in the area on Sunday afternoon, against the state's public realm enhancement scheme.

The community-driven initiative has already seen native Irish trees planted in 62 sites across the country.

Mairead O'Shea of See Her Elected says Leitrim is in line with the national trend.