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Irish Independent
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Tensions rise during anti-immigration protest in Galway
Roughly 150 people gathered outside Galway County Council, waving Irish and religious flags in an anti-immigration protest, while counter-demonstrators assembled just across the street. Led by Irish Freedom Party national organiser Doran McMahon, the protest, dubbed the 'Gathering of the Tribes,' according to a promotional flyer posted on Facebook, featured speeches from a coalition of nationalist groups. Protesters voiced concerns about safety and violence and also criticised IPAS (International Protection Accommodation Services) centres, claiming their presence was detrimental to local communities already strained by the influx of immigrants and refugees. Members of the Irish Freedom Party, National Party, Sínne Na Daoíne and Día le hÉireann, took part in the protest. Protesters carried various Irish and religious flags while Irish ballads like Fields of Athenry blared through speakers in the park. Along the route one protester spoke about the 'unity' among nationalist groups, despite 'differing opinions.' He pointed to a Palestinian flag pinned to his lapel, noting it as a symbol of solidarity - even if, he acknowledged, others in the group may not share that view. On the other side of town, Galway Anti-Racism Network facilitated a group of counter protesters who began to gather on the corner of the county hall with their own set of flags. Both sides flew the tricolour, but the anti-racism protesters also displayed the Palestinian flag in solidarity with oppressed people. One woman stood with her young son, who excitedly held a small poster and chanted along. She said she came to demonstrate that the Irish flag should not be used as a symbol of racism, comparing such appropriation to the historic connotations of the Union Jack. 'I don't want them to speak for the people of Galway, I don't want my tricolours associated with racism.' She explained that her family is of Irish and Iraqi descent, so this means more than just showing up to support, it means showing her son why it's important. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more 'That's the future of Ireland, we are quite a mixed nation, and the idea of children feeling unsafe is very upsetting. No one should feel unsafe or unwelcome in our country.' Labour Party city councillors Helen Ogbu and Níall McNelis were in attendance. Cllr Ogbu said: 'I am really happy to be here in solidarity… Ireland belongs to everyone. We are not here to attack anyone; we are here to peaceful protest to make sure that people know we have huge supporters here and that not all Irish people are against migrants.' 'Migrants are contributing to the economy of Ireland. If you go to the healthcare sector, you have migrants. If you go to the hospitality sector, you have migrants. Why can't we coexist?' 'We must come against this anti-racist behaviour, so we are all here to say we welcome migrants, we accept everyone, and we are here for everyone.' Around 3:15pm, the crowds began to stir as protesters made their way from Eyre Square up the steps of the council building. Gardaí formed a buffer between the anti-immigration and anti-racism groups, who shouted at one another before being directed apart. Among the crowd, a young woman named Lily moved through the anti-immigration group asking questions and challenging views. 'I told him, 'If I said I was an immigrant right now, what would that make me?' He said, 'well then you're not my friend.'' 'I am an immigrant, but I had to work my way up. It took me 10 years to find a house, I am still working on my Irish passport, I am not doing any harm.' 'You can't paint a whole picture with one perspective and to judge a whole perspective on one person is just wrong.' Lily moved to Ireland from Morocco when she was six years old and while she cherishes the culture that she was born in, she says she lives a very Irish life, even speaking the language fluently. 'I respect Ireland for allowing me to live, I will always be grateful for allowing me to live here. I wouldn't disrespect an Irish person but for [them] to come out here and disrespect me is rude. Yes, I am an immigrant, but I am not doing anything to disrespect the country.' As nationalist speeches rang out, chants from counter-protesters echoed across the road, kept at bay by Gardaí. Lorrain O'Sullivan, a member of Sínne Na Daoíne, which she describes as 'one of the fastest-growing grassroots movements in the country', delivered a passionate address saying: 'If we don't step up, who will?' 'It's our era. These are our communities, and we don't tolerate predators walking freely where our children play and our elderly sleep. You may think you are safe because nothing has happened to you but that is naïve. There may come a time unfortunately where you will wish you stood up earlier.' A lead spokesperson for the counter-protesters said: 'We are here to send a message to say we were counter your lies and hatred against migrants and people of colour. We stand united. We stand for everyone: immigrants and Irish people. The Irish Independent reached out to nationalist group protest organiser Doran McMahon but have not received a response.
Irish Independent
27-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
Anti-vaccine campaigner Dolores Cahill urged to sell her castle to community
Ms Cahill, an anti-vaccine campaigner during the pandemic, bought White's Castle by the River Barrow for €450,000 in 2019 when she was chairperson of the Irish Freedom Party. She had planned to turn the 16th-century castle into a centre for political talks and events. However, she resigned from the party days after hosting a St Patrick's week gathering at the castle for an estimated 75 guests in March 2021 at the height of the Covid lockdown. A garda investigation led to several people being fined for 'non-essential travel'. The tower house needs repairs, with cracks found in the walls and the roof and battlements in need of immediate attention, local councillors have been told. Historian and former councillor Frank Taffe held 'preliminary discussions' with Ms Cahill late last year with a view to her selling the property. 'I made it very clear that it should be in public ownership, either the OPW, Clare County Council or the civic trust,' he said. 'We had agreed that we would have further discussions. 'She was prepared to discuss it, but there was no decision made. There was no indication that she would be able to transfer it or sell it.' Mark Leigh, a Labour Party councillor who helped found the Athy Civic Trust, said the organisation is working towards buying back the castle. 'It would be the wish of the people of Athy, of all the historical societies, and all the community groups that the castle comes back into the ownership of the people of Athy,' he said. Ms Cahill claimed children who wore face masks would have a lower IQ because of a lack of oxygen Land registry documents list Ms Cahill and John O'Brien as the registered owners since January 2020. Before that, it was sold for €1.3m in 2005 and went on sale in 2012 for €195,000. Ms Cahill was a professor at the UCD School of Medicine and chair of the Freedom Party when she began advocating against the government's strict public health guidelines on mask-wearing and social gatherings during the pandemic. She left her role as professor of translational science at the university in 2021 after students protested about her pronouncements on the Covid-19 virus. Ms Cahill claimed children who wore face masks would have a lower IQ because of a lack of oxygen and was fined for holding an anti-lockdown protest in London in 'flagrant breach' of restrictions. She is suing UCD and the university's governing board in the High Court. In a separate case, she issued legal proceedings this month against the Protected Disclosures Commissioner, the Health Products Regulatory Authority and the State. She was recently associated with the Irish Republican Brotherhood, which has listed her online as 'chief justice of the Sovereign Republic of Eire'. She is billed as co-host of the Weekend Truth Festival in Cumbria next month. The event will cover topics such as the campaign against 5G technology and the legal system.
Irish Examiner
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: Free speech does not equal a right to intimidate
Readers may be aware that there was a large gathering organised by anti-immigration campaigners in Cork over the weekend, involving several prominent far-right agitators including former Ireland First leader Derek Blighe and Hermann Kelly of the Irish Freedom Party. Soon after the march, another former member of the Irish Freedom Party, South Dublin county councillor Glen Moore, claimed on social media that some people who had attended the gathering were asked to leave a pub on Coburg Street, Sin É, and that they had been discriminated against for their political beliefs. Mr Moore's post has led to threats being made against the pub and its owners. Benny McCabe, who owns the pub, has responded in these pages to these claims. He pointed out that his staff have been abused in the past by people wearing far-right paraphernalia and stressed that customers are free to wear what they wanted as long as they do not misbehave. It should be pointed out that alongside the threats being made online against Mr McCabe's pub there are also calls for solidarity and support. There is a desperation inherent in posts like Mr Moore's, keen as they are in trying to manufacture some form of controversy, but that is hardly surprising. In Ireland, there is a small minority seeking to control narratives by turning basic concepts on their head: For them, 'patriotism' means posting for clicks, 'advocacy' means aggression, and 'protest' doubles as provocation. The basic concept of peaceful protest is a cornerstone of every democracy: People are entitled to register in public their approval or disapproval of issues which concern them. It is a fundamental right. But with rights come responsibilities. Mr McCabe was right to describe the atmosphere in Cork last weekend as one of 'low to moderate intimidation'. Public assembly is not a licence to intimidate or abuse, to imitate the Nazi salute, or to try to provoke others. Or to threaten local businesses which have been at the heart of their communities for years. Cost rationale does not add up The recent case in which Richard Satchwell was convicted of murdering his wife Tina has led to some discussion of how gardaí handled the case. Mr Satchwell buried his wife's body in their home in Youghal in 2017, but it took six and a half years for the remains to be found, leading to questions as to why that discovery was not made sooner. The use of cadaver dogs, which are trained to find bodies, has become one of the key topics in this discussion. Justice minister Jim O'Callaghan has said it would be 'preferable' if the gardaí had a cadaver dog, but said that was a decision for Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. Mr Harris was not as enthusiastic about the idea when asked about it recently, pointing out that such animals take a lot of training and often have a relatively brief working life. He added that a cadaver dog has been used just three times in his seven years as garda chief. This argument, persuasive as it appears, would probably have carried more weight if it had not been made at the same that new water cannons, which will be used by gardaí, were unveiled. Mr Harris said that the water cannons, which can be used to help quell violent disorder on the streets, would only be used in exceptional circumstances. It is to be hoped that they will not have to be used at all, of course, but the principle of having them on standby just in case is a sound one. However, the water cannons cost approximately €1.5m — which rather dwarfs the cost of training and maintaining a single cadaver dog. Maintaining public order is a key responsibility for gardaí, and any equipment which helps them to meet that responsibility is welcome. Nonetheless, it seems counter-intuitive to acknowledge that an asset which cost €1.5m will only be used in exceptional circumstances while taking pains to describe a single dog as a specialised resource which is not working every day. Surely the peace of mind which could be afforded to families if their loved ones are discovered in a timely fashion, which did not happen in Tina Satchwell's case, is worth considering when weighing the costs involved. If the funds can be found for water cannons, then the funds can be found to train, feed, and house a single dog. Brian Wilson: Sound of the 60s Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys musician, songwriter, and creative force, died this week. He was 82. In an Instagram post yesterday, his family wrote: 'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now.' Their loss will be shared by millions. Wilson helped to create some of the most sublime pop music of all time, starting with The Beach Boys's trademark songs about beach life and girls in the early 1960s, and culminating in the album Pet Sounds in 1966, often cited as one of the greatest of all time. His life was not always easy. He spent time in psychiatric hospitals during the late 1960s, and was eventually diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and mild manic depression, while he also struggled with alcoholism and spent years embroiled in legal battles with family members and bandmates. That hardly matters now: Wilson's songs are immortal. 'I can hear music,' he once sang. He certainly could. Read More
Irish Examiner
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Cork publican says staff threatened after claims nationalist rally protesters were asked to leave pub
A prominent Cork publican has spoken of disgust after some of his staff and his business were threatened online following claims from a far-right politician attendees at a nationalist rally in the city were asked to leave one of his pubs. Benny McCabe, who runs a brewery and over a dozen pubs in the city centre, said he was absolutely shocked by some of the threats made in response to the post on a social media account of former Irish Freedom Party and now independent South Dublin county councillor, Glen Moore. 'In all my years as a publican, indeed as a citizen of Ireland, I've never seen such carry-on,' Mr McCabe said. 'If this is where politics is going and if elected representatives feel this is OK, then this is really the canary in the coal mine for all moderate people.' A post on Mr Moore's X account claimed four people, including one of his family members, who had attended the nationalist rally in Cork on Saturday, were asked to leave Mr McCabe's Sin É pub on Coburg St afterwards. He claimed the group, one of whom was wearing a Make Ireland Great Again (Miga) hat, were called racist. He claimed the bar had 'discriminated against Irish people for their political beliefs', and that puts the venue at risk of a civil lawsuit. The post, which has been viewed some 418,000 times, prompted hundreds of comments, including threats and calls for a boycott, but also comments pledging support for the venue and promising to call in for a pint. Mr McCabe said he issued clear instructions to staff ahead of Saturday's march that everyone was welcome in his bars, that no one would be refused for carrying the Irish flag but that if anyone misbehaved, they would be asked to leave. He said he had been criticised before by people on the far left and by the gay community for calling out bad behaviour, but he said he had never seen a reaction like that in response to Mr Moore's post. Sin É does not care who you are 'once you behave and wear shoes', he said. But he said comments from public representatives on the far left or from the gay community had never led to threats on social media to burn a person's business out or to intimidate staff. He said some of his staff had previously been subjected to "vile racist abuse" by people wearing Maga or Miga hats. Dozens of uniformed gardaí, backed up by dozens of members of the Garda Public Order Unit, and members of the Garda Mounted Unit were on duty on the Grand Parade in Cork during the rally. Thousands gathered in one area for a Munster-wide pro-Palestine march, and nearby for what was billed as a "national protest for Ireland", organised by anti-immigration campaigners. Several prominent far-right agitators were involved in that event, including former Ireland First leader Derek Blighe. Mr McCabe said he watched Saturday's march and said he sensed 'low to moderate intimidation' in the city, that he saw some people make Nazi salutes, heard chants of 'fuck Palestine', and heard abuse being hurled at foreigners, and some of those who had marched were recording people on their phones to prompt a reaction. Many who attended with tricolours were disgusted with what they saw, he said. 'They have honestly held beliefs about housing and uncontrolled migration, but they were disgusted by some of the behaviour,' he said. 'We all want the same things — law and order, housing, and an end to unregulated migration. 'The 'patriots' seem to think they have a righteous monopoly on this but all we saw was a minority spewing hate and elected officials behaving without decorum. 'I was raised a republican both in the Irish and European context. I do not believe in narrow interest groups. I'm very sad to see this. 'I grew up in that pub and was lucky to be able to buy it many years ago, It's been run in the same way my parents taught me — all are equal. 'Sin É will remain a haven for tolerance. The weak will be defended and the intolerant will be called out.'
Sunday World
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Sunday World
Irish Freedom Party election candidate spared jail after threatening Garda Sergeant
Activist Paul Fitzsimons (56) from Grange Road, Baldoyle, was also charged with unlawful possession of a knife as a weapon An unsuccessful general election candidate has been spared jail and a criminal conviction for becoming "irate" and threatening a Garda sergeant after addressing a rally in Dublin last year. Irish Freedom Party activist Paul Fitzsimons, 56, from Grange Road, Baldoyle, was charged with unlawful possession of a knife as a weapon, failing to comply with garda directions and engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour in an incident at Talbot Street in the city centre on February 5, 2024. The podcaster and IT consultant pleaded not guilty at Dublin District Court. Having reviewed the evidence, Judge Patricia Cronin gave him the benefit of the doubt and dismissed the knife charge today after noting the reason he had it was to cut down posters. Defence solicitor Lorraine Stephens pleaded for leniency for the father-of-three, stressing he had not come to negative attention since and his community work. On the day, he had expressed frustration at being told to move on, which was generally a direction given to young people, she submitted. However, Judge Cronin found him guilty of the two Public Order Act charges. Noting his last prior conviction was in 2003 for a motoring offence, Judge Cronin held that she could treat him like a first-time offender, and she applied the Probation of Offenders Act. In evidence, former taxi driver Fitzsimons said he was part of a rally that marched from the Garden of Remembrance along O'Connell Street to the Custom House, where he addressed a massive crowd. He said he told other marchers to keep moving in response to being confronted by counter-demonstrators. Paul Fitzsimons pictured leaving the Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ) on Parkgate Street in Dublin after he appeared before the Court. pic: The court heard that hundreds of gardaí were in the area acting as a "buffer between the two factions'. He said he was taking down posters after the gathering, so he had the pen knife or lock knife with two blades, one of which was retractable like a Stanley blade. He bought it in a Woodies store and only had it for cutting cable ties to hang posters. Otherwise, it was kept in a zipped pocket, he testified. Afterwards, he was making his way to his car and stopped at Talbot Street, where gardaí, including a superintendent, were present. An opposing group had passed through there about 15 minutes before he arrived. He said Sergeant Jones appeared over his shoulder and told him to leave, citing section eight of the Public Order Act. The accused admitted cursing and claimed the garda punched him three times in the back before arresting him. He testified that he had been complying with the caution to leave and was walking away irate at being "singled out" from other people at the scene. Fitzsimons agreed with his solicitor that he thought the garda sergeant was interfering with his right to protest. He admitted he told the garda sergeant to f**k off five times but denied being threatening or that there could have been a flare-up. However, when cross-examined, he apologised for cursing. It was put to him that he could have used wire snips to cut cables, but he said that he had kept the knife in his bag and "I would not take it out against anyone." The sergeant refuted the claim that he punched the accused and said he had escorted him onto the footpath. He also pointed out Mr Fitzsimons did not mention being punched in his "commentary" in the video evidence recorded on his phone. Accused of being threatening by telling the sergeant, "Take off your uniform", the accused agreed he made that remark but said it was after the officer had told him that he could handle himself. Following his arrest, he was taken to Mountjoy Garda Station, where the knife was found on him.
