Latest news with #SinnenaDaoine
Extra.ie
3 days ago
- Politics
- Extra.ie
Man's jaw broken in attack after convicted killer's 'misinformed' TikTok
A Muslim man was hospitalised with a broken jaw after a convicted killer involved in a far-right 'vigilante' 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 Gerard McNamara and posted to his TikTok account. The group later claimed they engaged in vigilantism by bringing the man to a nearby Garda station. But this claim was also dismissed by gardaí, who said they fear someone will 'end up dead' as a result of targeted 'nonsense' published by far-right groups online. The footage, which went viral on social media before it was labelled 'misinformation' by gardaí, was filmed by Gerard McNamara and posted to his TikTok account. Pic: File A Garda spokesman also confirmed the man's 'alleged conduct was not of a criminal nature and there was nothing untoward' in his behaviour. Killer McNamara – who kicked and beat his own father to death – is part of a group that previously revealed has begun staging street patrols and has members in almost every county in the country. Sinne na Daoine, founded by failed general election candidate and former Ireland First president Anthony Casey, describes themselves as a 'community watchdog'. Sinne na Daoine, founded by failed general election candidate and former Ireland First president Anthony Casey, describes themselves as a 'community watchdog'. Pic: File They have been publicly backed by former MMA fighter and self-styled presidential candidate Conor McGregor. Last week, McNamara posted footage of a man sitting in the People's Park in Limerick city. He and other members of the group surrounded the man, whom they accused of approaching children in the park. They later claimed they brought the man to Henry Street Garda Station in the city. In the footage, the man explains he was simply saying hello to a baby who was with their parents and grandparents. But one of group responds, saying: 'It doesn't matter – you don't go near kids no matter where the f*** you are. A Muslim man was hospitalised with a broken jaw after a convicted killer involved in a far-right 'vigilante' group wrongly accused him of inappropriately approaching children in a park. Pic: TikTok A woman with an English accent is heard telling the man that it is their local playground and they want their 'kids to be safe'. The man then tried to shake a member of the group's hand but was told: 'I should smack your head off.' McNamara is heard asking the man if it is part of his religion to 'marry nine-year-olds'. The man replied 'no' and shook his head in disgust. He was then told the gardaí had been called and that they would be reporting him to the accommodation he is staying. 'F*** you, coming over here,' McNamara adds before the video cuts off. A source familiar with the incident said McNamara later shared the 'false information' about the man on social media, making him a 'walking target'. Sinne na Daoine leader Casey later claimed they brought the man to the Garda station after the video was taken. But a source familiar with the case denied this version of events. They told 'All they did was make him a walking target by sharing the false information all over social media. 'A day later, the man was targeted in an attack and hospitalised. He had his jaw broken after these vigilantes made baseless claims about him and spread it about social media.' In response to queries from McNamara insisted the group 'walked' the man they approached in the park 'to the garda station', adding 'the garda never showed up'. He also denied that he or members of his group were responsible for the subsequent brutal assault of the same man. McNamara said in a text response: 'If we broke his nose, we would of never ringing the garda. If we attacked him be stupid if we broke his nose and then walked him to the garda.' 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. Mr O'Donnell died in hospital from blunt force trauma to the head, hours after his son had kicked him and beaten him with a number of household items. At the time, the court heard McNamara had 16 previous convictions, including theft and possession of drugs and public order offences. The convicted killer addressed his past in a video posted to TikTok this week. He claimed he has no idea why people are commenting under his posts that he is a murderer and that he didn't want to have to 'lower himself' by explaining what actually happened. 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. McNamara tells his followers: 'I have never, ever spent a day in prison in my life for murder. I don't know where you're getting all this from. 'I had an argument with my dad, alright. An argument with my dad. He didn't f***in' die, he didn't die there and then. We had an argument. I'm not going to go into the details. Things were said. He hit me, I hit my dad, he fell, banged his head. Got up, continued on drinking. Guards came, ambulance came. Get your facts right. I was never locked up for murder.' McNamara admitted he made a mistake, but asked: '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. I didn't go out with a balaclava and a gun. I didn't bate him with f***in' weapons.' previously reported how Sinne na Daoine publicised their first and second 'patrols' in Limerick city and Clonmel in Co. Tipperary on social media. They have also listed the names of companies or people they label 'plantation enablers' on their website. A picture from the group's first patrol in Limerick city showed Kildare South election candidate Casey posing alongside group were dressed in orange vests with the Sinne na Daoine logo. A source familiar with the group's operation told 'They are organised and anyone who wants to join is screened.' Gardaí have been closely monitoring the group as they 'patrol' the streets. A source said: 'It is a concern to gardaí and they are monitoring their activities.' In response to queries, a Garda spokesman said: 'On Monday, June 30, 2025 a number of members of the public expressed their concern to gardaí attached to Henry Street Garda Station, for the alleged behaviour of a man who had earlier been seated in the People's Park, Limerick. 'Having carried out enquiries into these concerns, An Garda Síochána is satisfied that the alleged conduct was not of a criminal nature and was nothing untoward. The male fully co-operated with gardaí during the course of their enquiries.' The spokesman also confirmed gardaí are 'investigating an assault of a male that occurred in the Parnell Street area of Limerick City at approximately 3:45 pm on the afternoon of July 1'. It is an offence to communicate threatening, abusive or insulting material that is intended, or likely to 'stir up' hatred against a group of people because of their race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origins.
Irish Examiner
7 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Blighe asks Electoral Commission to examine process to replace him as Ireland First leader
The anti-migrant campaigner Derek Blighe has asked the Electoral Commission to examine the process to replace him as leader of the far-right Ireland First group. Mr Blighe resigned from the Ireland First party in April, saying he wants to 'resume other ambitions' and 'cannot be involved in party politics at the moment'. Mr Blighe, a construction worker from Mitchelstown, Co Cork, said the past few years have taken a large toll on both his family and work life, adding: 'I must take this step now to focus on those closest to me and work on some new exciting ventures.' He ran for Ireland First in both the local and European elections last June, and also ran in the Cork North Central constituency in the November general election. He was eliminated in the latter on the seventh count. Mr Blighe was replaced as president of the group by Anthony Casey, one of the key figures in the Sinne na Daoine, an anti-immigrant 'patrol group'. Mr Casey had been a candidate in last year's local elections for the Irish Freedom Party, whose leader Hermann Kelly has described Sinne Na Daoine as a 'vigilante group'. In a social media post on Tuesday, Mr Blighe claimed that the election to replace him was invalid. He said the election of Mr Casey had only been attended by two committee members, including himself, meaning it was invalid. 'At that point, Ireland First had five committee members, and electing new leadership required a 61% majority — four out of five votes,' Mr Blighe wrote. 'When I asked where the other committee members were, I was told two had failed to renew their memberships, and the third had said he was too busy to attend. The vote proceeded, and both myself and the other committee member present voted in favour of Anthony Casey. In the weeks following the vote, it became clear something wasn't right. After speaking with two of the absent committee members, I learned that the memberships of two committee members had been cancelled by the party on February 13 — just three days before the vote — and that all three absent committee members were not informed of, or invited to the meeting. Mr Blighe said there had been attempts to resolve the matter in early May, but that the Electoral Commission had since undertaken an investigation and invited submissions from both sides. Mr Blighe said he has 'received a huge amount of abuse and attacks over the last few months' which had 'got more frequent and intense every time the question of the Ireland First leadership vote was brought up'. He said that he had made a criminal complaint in relation to this. In a subsequent post, Mr Casey said that he 'will be more than willing to attend the first sit down with Mr Blighe and relevant others'. A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission said that an application to amend the party's register was being considered. 'The Registrar of Political Parties has received an application to amend the Register of Political Parties in respect of Ireland First. 'The application is under consideration and a decision will be published in due course.'
