2 days ago
Community 'safety' group includes violent offenders and killer as members
A failed far-right election candidate who ranted 'I'm going all Texas on it. I got guns' in a disturbing post about asylum seekers is a founding member of 'vigilante' group Sinne na Daoine, has learned.
Another founding member of the anti-immigrant group – which claims to have 'over 1,000' members – and a fellow failed election candidate, threatened to 'storm' the Dáil this week in a series of social media posts.
And can further reveal – after reporting recently that a convicted father killer was in the group – that a separate person strongly associated with the sinister group is currently before the courts for a violent crime. Sinne na Daoine leader with Ger McNamara. Pic: File
The worrying remarks about having guns were made in a 2022 post by Martin Murphy, who ran in last year's local elections for the Irish Freedom Party, in Tipperary's Carrick-on-Suir constituency.
He also remarked on a post about former British prime minister Liz Truss and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen: 'Ask which you would shoot if you only had 1 bullet.'
The previous year, the former candidate and current Ireland First 'national organiser' posted a series of tweets calling for Fine Gael TDs and senators to be sent to the 'gallows'.
understands Sinne na Daoine was founded last year by approximately ten people, including Mr Murphy and the president of the Ireland First party, Anthony Casey.
It has been backed by ex-MMA star and self-styled presidential candidate Conor McGregor.
Mr Casey said this week the Dáil needs to be 'stormed already'.
The former Kildare South candidate made the comments on a post that claimed the Dublin streets 'run red with the blood of our own'.
'Do you still think @SinneNaDaoine is too extreme? Still think I'm too militant?,' he asked.
'How many innocent Irish lives are you willing to sacrifice?
'Don't be concerned about my 'electability'.' He added, the 'Dáil needs to be stormed already!!'
When it was put to him by a follower that he should 'stop pontificating' and 'storm it', Mr Casey replied he will be there 'front and centre'.
'There are over 1000 in Sinne na Daoine now,' he said.
'Trust me, I am working on it, and I will be there front and centre. There's a reason I'm adopting a multi-pronged approach as I've said from the get go.'
He continued: 'There are strong patriots around the movement that I need to sit down with first in order to achieve this effectively.'
The revelations about its founding members come as can report that a man connected to Sinne na Daoine is currently charged with a serious violent crime. The man can't be named for legal reasons but has previously attended a Sinne na Daoine meeting at which he spoke.
recently revealed another man, who bludgeoned his own father to death, is also a central figure in Sinne na Daoine. Ger McNamara. Pic: File
Killer Gerard McNamara – who kicked and beat his own father to death – is part of the group that previously revealed has begun staging street patrols and has members in almost every county in the country.
A photo from the group's first patrol in Limerick city shows McNamara, 37, posing beside Anthony Casey.
The group were dressed in orange vests featuring the Sinne na Daoine logo.
An informed source described the group as 'vigilantes' who 'put up stickers on the streets they patrol'. 'They are organised and anyone who wants to join is screened,' said the source.
'One of the women does the screening, and you have to do a FaceTime call or 30-second video [before being allowed onto their online forums].'
Killer McNamara was sentenced to eight years in prison, with the final two years suspended, in 2012, for killing his father in a drink-fuelled row.
He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Joseph 'Joey' O'Donnell, 48 at Hyde Road, Prospect, in Limerick, on October 1, 2010.
Joseph O'Donnell died in hospital from blunt force trauma to the head, hours after his son had kicked and beaten him with a number of household items and a full can of beer.
Last week, revealed how a Muslim man was hospitalised with a broken jaw after convicted killer McNamara, who is involved in the far-right 'community watchdog' group, wrongly accused him of inappropriately approaching children in a park.
The footage, which went viral on social media before it was labelled 'misinformation' by gardaí, was filmed by McNamara and posted to his TikTok account.
McNamara has also addressed his criminal past in a video he posted to his TikTok account.
In the video, he claimed he had no idea why people are commenting under his posts that he was a murderer and that he didn't want to have to 'lower himself' by explaining to people what actually happened.
He said: 'Who never had a drink with someone, got in a row and hit him in the head?' He added: 'He died three days later. I got charged with manslaughter. He's my dad. I love him. I miss him.'
He also doubled down on the video he posted about the man in the park, saying there is 'evidence' of 'this Muslim foreign fella' approaching children – but without providing any proof or evidence to back up his claim.
Sinne na Daoine publicised their first and second 'patrols' in Limerick city and Clonmel, in Co. Tipperary, on social media earlier in the year.
They have also listed the names of companies or people they label 'plantation enablers' on their website. Meanwhile, Martin Murphy previously attempted to downplay his threatening posts when contacted by us.
He said the tweets were posted before he declared his intention to run in the local election and described them as 'gallows humour'.
