Paul Murphy released from Egyptian custody and expected to return to Ireland tomorrow
LAST UPDATE
|
59 mins ago
DUBLIN TD PAUL Murphy has been released from his detention by authorities in Egypt.
Earlier today, he was detained for a second time and had his passport taken, People Before Profit said.
He is expected to return to Ireland tomorrow.
Thousands of people, including Murphy, have travelled to Egypt to hold demonstrations at its border with Palestine and take place in the Global March for Gaza. However, Egyptian authorities have detained hundreds of people since.
Murphy's partner, People Before Profit councillor Jess Spear, said that Murphy had attended a Cairo police station on the advice of the Irish embassy to retrieve his phone this morning after it had been taken from him when he was earlier
detained on Friday
.
Advertisement
Murphy had subsequently been released late on Friday at Cairo Airport.
From the station today, Murphy had messaged to say that he was concerned that his passport had been taken again and 'was told he can't leave. He just attempted to leave but has been prevented from doing so by the police', a statement from People Before Profit said.
Other participants in the Global March to Gaza were also detained, the statement claimed. It is unclear if they were released alongside Murphy this evening.
In his message, Murphy wrote: 'They [the police] took my passport again, had me talk to the secret police and left me in a room with an interpreter. They claim they are looking for my phone. I just attempted to leave but they said that I cannot leave. I understand that other march participants have also been detained'.
Spear appealed to Tánaiste Simon Harris to 'intervene urgently with the Egyptian authorities'.
A statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs said: 'We can confirm that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance in this case. Consular assistance is provided on a confidential basis and therefore the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases.'
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Interest in news among Irish adults remains high
The annual Digital News Report for Ireland 2025 shows that at 56%, more than half the adult population in Ireland is 'extremely' or 'very interested' in news. The figure for Irish people is higher than for the UK (39%), the US (51%) and above the European average (45%). The figure is included in the 11th edition of the annual report published today in Galway by Coimisiún na Meán. Up 3 points from last year, the figure represents the highest level of interest in news since 2022, but down from a peak of 70% in 2021, during the Covid pandemic. When asked about trusted sources of news, RTÉ News (72%), local radio news (72%) and local newspapers (71%) emerge as the most trusted brands. Meanwhile 70% of Irish respondents described the Irish Times as trustworthy, with the same percentage for BBC News; 68% for the Irish Independent and 66% for Newstalk, Today FM and Sky News. When asked for their thoughts about online news, 68% of Irish respondents said they are concerned about what is real and what is fake online. All age groups showed concern about fake information online, with the highest rate (72%) among those aged 65+ and the lowest rate (62%) among those aged 18-24. The report also reveals that one in five Irish people are now paying for their news. Digital news subscription figures in Ireland now stand at 20%, which is a three-point increase from this time last year. When asked which digital news service they subscribed to, 36% of people said they paid for the Irish independent and 33% paid for the Irish Times' service. Rónán Ó Domhnaill, Media Development Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán, said that they recognise that An Coimisiún's ambition for developing the media landscape requires "ongoing and sustainable levels of funding for media outlets to support high-quality journalism, and news that people can trust". When asked if Irish audiences trust the news "most of the time", 50% of respondents in Ireland 'agreed' or 'strongly agreed', compared to 35% in the UK, 30% in the US, and 39% for merged data from Europe. In response to the questions "which platforms you have used in the last week as a source of news", the results reveal that 58% of Irish respondents said television, with the same percentage (58%) citing online media (excluding social media and blogs). Meanwhile, 47% said they have used social media as a source of news in the last week, with 36% saying radio, 22% saying printed newspapers, 12% saying podcasts, and 5% citing AI chatbots. In 2025, 11% of Irish respondents said they use radio as their primary source of news, which is significantly higher compared to the UK (8%), and when asked about the use of radio as a source of any news consumed, this figure increases to 36%. Figures for podcast listenership are growing as 12% listened to podcasts as a source of news in the last week, higher than in the UK (7%) and the European average (9%) but lower than the US (15%). Audiences' attitudes to the use of AI for news are changing. Last year, those 'very' and 'somewhat' comfortable with news mainly produced by AI with some human oversight were 15%. This has increased to 19% this year, with under-35s almost twice as comfortable as over-35s when considering the same measure. Commenting on the report, Dr Eileen Culloty, Deputy Director of the DCU Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society (FuJo) who worked on the survey, said: ''Local media enjoy strong public trust, But trust alone doesn't pay salaries or sustain newsrooms. "The big challenge is to convert trust into viable careers in local journalism so that local media can continue informing communities." Earlier this year, Coimisiún na Meán awarded €5.7m through new journalism schemes, funded by the Department of Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport and which covered local democracy and courts reporting. These schemes have facilitated over 100 new or enhanced journalism roles in Ireland to date.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Pipe bomb thug blows off own hand, issues wild hospital threat as 'Captain Hook'
A thug who blew his own hand off with a pipe bomb has posted a series of bizarre videos from his hospital bed - and called himself 'captain hook.'The 35 year old criminal, who has more than 80 convictions to his name, lost his hand after a suspected pipe bomb exploded at his Dublin home in the early hours of last Wednesday morning. Gruesome photos subsequently emerged of the man's horrific injury - showing that he had completely lost his hand in the horrific the career criminal, who recently served a five year prison sentence for burglary, has posted a series of videos from his bed in Beaumont Prison - as he showed off his handless arm and bizarrely issued threats at Taoiseach Michael Martin and others.'When this accident happened to me…a firework blew me hand off and that's exactly what happened,' the criminal said in a video publicly posted on social media app 'Tiktok.' "Right people, you's probably know what happened or whatever you's are seeing things in the papers and bullsh*it. I'm out of it on the morphine, right I have no hand but f*ck it, you've to go on with it yeah,' he says in another video. Going on to give out about gardai, the man, who are are not identifying says he's looking for 'justice' for the 'accident' he says he suffered. 'I haven't been questioned by any police since I came here in the hospital. I'm still here now. I'm sitting here in the hospital, Beaumont. I couldn't give two bollicks, I'm not letting them away with it and I want justice.'And in a threatening message to the Taoiseach, Tanaiste, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and the gardai he said: 'You want to get your guards in line because if you don't get them in line because when I get out of here I'm going to get justice one way or another. Because the law is on my side Michael. You, Simon Harris, Mary Lou, the whole lot of yous - you deserve what's coming to you and I promise you yous are gonna get it by the Irish people,' he says. "Treason should be what publishable by death. You speak for no one Michael and I'm coming for you and I'm coming for justice. I'm going for justice my own way.'In subsequent videos the dopey crim says the government needs to 'wake up' and addresses his loss of limb saying:'Wake the f*ck up because the people woke the f*ck up and I'm coming for you. One hand or not, you can call me what you want, yeah I'm gonna get a hook for this. You can call me Captain Hook. I'm coming for you.'In a statement, Gardaí confirmed they had 'attended the scene following report of an incident of criminal damage at a residential location in Coolock that occurred in the early hours of Wednesday.'The statement continued: 'A man, aged in his 30s, subsequently received treatment for serious injuries at Beaumont Hospital Dublin.'
Irish Independent
4 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Letters: As ‘No Kings' protest in US showed, the trick is to outclass the other side
This was no angry mob. It was peaceful, flag-waving and quietly patriotic. The slogans were about liberty, not vengeance; the symbols were constitutional, not cultural. In short, it looked like the America many of us grew up believing in. And it worked. Donald Trump, who never likes to lose face, has already begun retreating on immigration, tariffs and foreign policy. His showy military parade flopped. What this tells us – and what Irish eyes might take from it – is that dignity and discipline in protest still carry weight. The trick is not to outshout your opponents, but to outclass them. In Ireland we know a thing or two about resisting authority, but we also know that it's public opinion, not public fury, that ultimately shifts the ground. This is not just a moment of American resistance – it may be the quiet revival of the democratic centre. Enda Cullen, Tullysaran Road, Armagh Occupied Territories Bill must happen now if we really want to help Gaza The outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Iran must not distract from Ireland's efforts to help the people of Gaza. While we look on aghast, world leaders are constrained by commercial interests or strategic alliances. Over centuries, Ireland has demonstrated an ability to overcome such constraints. During a visit to Ireland in 2022, Hagai El-Ad, the former head of B'Tselem, Israel's great human rights organisation, said this country has a major influence on international humanitarian affairs, disproportionate to its size. Since then, Ireland has failed his region. The Occupied Territories Bill 2018 (OTB) refines public empathy into practical impact. Its peaceful innovation should have long been shared with the world. However, in 2020 it was blocked by the Government. Unjustified delay has followed, despite the bill having gained large majority support in the Seanad, Dáil and among the electorate. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more On May 27, the Tánaiste's comments in the Dáil on reintroducing the bill hinted at its fundamental dilution. At Gaza's 11th hour, Ireland cannot support such futility or further unnecessary delay. Rumoured external pressures on public representatives might best be shared with the electorate. Threats of legal challenges to this patently peaceful bill can be confidently faced later, if they arise. Similarly, parliamentary voting on the bill should surely be votes of conscience, away from the party whip system? Ireland's obligation to serve the innocents of Palestine is also at the 11th hour. Philip Powell, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin Garda who came out as gay is a real inspiration to all who celebrate Pride How refreshing it is to hear a gay man say 'Our sexuality, whatever it is, is a proud part of us all, but it doesn't, nor should it, define us' and 'Just be yourself and be proud of your sexuality. Don't shy away from it' ('Top garda who was married with children before coming out as gay says 'Be yourself and be proud of your sexuality'', June 16). Compare this with the recent diatribe in the Sunday Independent from author John Boyne, who has become disdainful as he gets older. Fair play to GRA president Mark O'Meara, whose words of wisdom are an inspiration to all who celebrate Pride month. Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry Despite the myth, Gaelic football was popular in Dublin's inner-city schools In his review of RTÉ's Hell For Leather: The Story of Gaelic Football (June 9), Pat Stacey trots out the old story that no one in the Dublin 2 and 8 areas was interested in the sport when he was growing up in the Liberties in the 1970s. I beg to differ. Within distance of where Mr Stacey lived were Francis Street and Synge Street Christian Brothers schools. Football and hurling were played in both schools. There had always been some interest in the Dublin senior football team, even through some unforgettable years. When Kevin Heffernan and the Dubs reached the promised land in 1974, the spark was rekindled, and it still burns brightly to this day. Perhaps Mr Stacey was too busy watching TV shows or movies to have noticed this. Ray Healy, Dublin 11 Alone does tremendous work in helping elderly people have a dignified life I would like to commend and applaud the sterling service of Alone, the national organisation that provides services to older people who need support at home. The organisation also focuses on those who have difficulties by supporting them and linking them in with local services, thereby providing them with the support they need to live at home for as long as possible. A recent report by the charity revealed how important community support is for older people and showed a clear reduction in healthcare use and improved quality of life. The research found that community support enables older people to live with dignity at home. This itself highlights how the services of Alone are transforming the experience of ageing in Ireland. This support can encompass a wide range of services, including help with daily tasks, access to health care and opportunities for social engagement. Thank you to Alone for all the support it provides to the elderly of this country. John O'Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary EU needs to ask the big questions of itself over financial help for Ukraine With the US cancelling military aid to Ukraine, the question now is: Can the EU step up to the plate and fill the void? In recent months, Europe delivered the fifth tranche of its macro financial assistance loan to Ukraine, which is worth a total of €18bn. But this is a drop in the ocean compared with Russia's $160bn (€138bn) spend on defence this year alone. The irony is that the EU is dependent on Russian energy sources and provides Putin with €20bn a year to support Moscow's war machine. Europe makes a lot of noise and promises much, but long-term delivery is another matter.
