The Rise of the Right Wing In Ireland.

[moses]

Not to the left behind the global trend, the growth of the Irish activist right is gathering pace. They are basically the same people who got militant about masks, being wound up by openly right wing parties. “Similar to the U.S. and other parts of the world, there’s a disturbing trend in Ireland where white nationalist, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-immigrant, and anti-lockdown groups seem to be coming together and echoing each other’s hateful rhetoric,” said Heidi Beirich, co-founder of The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. “One of the scariest things about this coalescence is that they are able to spread their extremist messages wider and recruit more people into their movements. Unfortunately, we expect the far-right in Ireland to continue to grow.” They have been organising demonstrations outside refugee shelters in the name of challenging homelessness and engaging with the property and housing crisis. Having spent my life at protests, mostly poorly attended, it’s worrying to see how quickly they can muster so many different protests of 200 people so quickly.

Last year a report by The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism listed the following 12 Hate Groups as Part of their report on Ireland.

Anti-Corruption Ireland (white nationalist, anti-immigrant, conspiracy)
House the Irish First (anti-immigrant)
Iona Institute (anti-LGBTQ+)
Irish Council for Human Rights (anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ+, conspiracy)
Irish Freedom Party (anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ+, conspiracy)
LGB Alliance (anti-transgender, other)
National Party (anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ+, white nationalist)
Official Proud Boys Ireland (white nationalist, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-woman)
Rise Up Éireann/Rise Up Ireland (conspiracy)
Síol na hEireann/Seed of Ireland (white nationalist, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ+)
Society of St. Pius X Resistance (conspiracy, antisemitic)
Yellow Vest Ireland (anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ+, conspiracy)

The Irish Times - Anti-immigration protesters block traffic in Dublin and Cork
https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/...e-urges-residents-not-to-speak-to-protesters/

The Independent - Protest against asylum seekers in Ballymun ‘embarrassing’, says Lord Mayor
https://www.independent.ie/regional...un-embarrassing-says-lord-mayor-42273218.html

One interesting thing is the homogeneity of the talking points. Any pushback to intimdatory protests against these shelters is the usual freedom of speech, we’re only voicing our opinion nonsense. There is a similar harping back to the good old days of MAGA but these numpties are going full Nazi and evoking the purity of ancient history in their social media dialogue. It’s our first foray into the exclusionary Nationalism that we have thus far avoided. Previously our nationalism had a solidarity with the perceived oppressed in the world, like the Cubans, The Palestinians and the wider Arab World. Not so much now.

Like the virus, housing in Ireland is a real issue, but these feckers will hijack anything to gather power for themselves. The nonsense spouted over mask being a restriction of freedom while also campaigning to ban abortions shows they have no consistent ideology or framework beyond anger, hate and division.

The 160,000+ empty homes before the Ukraine war, are still empty. The 11,000 official homeless number hasn’t shifted with the influx of Ukrainians. Even now, amid the protests there is no proposed solution to the housing crisis beyond attacking refugees, who are in shelter, not housing. There is a proposed amendment to our constitution to make Housing a right, and they are against this too, claiming the fictional Marxists in charge are going to take our private property off us.

Part of the swell I think is a result of our two party system with both parties being almost identical centre right washouts. They are an open and visible disaster and the Left is just an unacceptable alternative due mainly to them being a bit of a mess and the global post WW2 narrative, so there is a vacuum there that is proving very dangerous.

Ireland is an interesting case study, because the Free State Government in the 30’s apart we have had no real semblance of an organised right (or left) historically.

Mick Clifford in The Irish Examiner – Does Ireland Have A Far Right Problem.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-40947116.html

RTE: What's behind the emergence of the far right in Irish politics?
https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/0708/1204047-ireland-europe-far-right-politics/

The Layer of Lies – A First Look at Irish Far-Right Activity on Telegram
https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Layers-of-Lies.pdf

 

[GDaly95]

My dad has started parroting stuff he's seen on Facebook recently. Information/disinformation about the demographic of refugees and where they're coming from. He's not saying anything with malice, he's not even taking the side of the protestors (atleast now outwardly), but I have genuinely never heard him come out with a political opinion or opinion on much of anything until the last number of weeks so it's very jarring.

On the other hand, we're moving to the left as a country if you agree that Sinn Fein are going to be in government after the next election and I also don't see a cohesive far right wing party capable of or interested in capitalising on this right wing vitriol to build themselves momentum on the political stage.

 

[christy87]

The lot of these are fecking grifters, the prick in east cork stirring shit has no problem with him immigrating for economic reasons and no problem bringing his foreign national wife and kids back to Ireland, but other people doing it as refugees is a big no, prick is a thug with a record.

 

[Sweet Square]

Been a while since I’ve looked at the polls but Sinn Fein as the most popular party and the younger generation(Like in the UK)are on the left.

So not too worried tbh.

 

[moses]

Been a while since I’ve looked at the polls but Sinn Fein as the most popular party and the younger generation(Like in the UK)are on the left.

So not too worried tbh.

The polls don't tell the story, because of our politically centrist history the ground is much more ripe for right wing expansion than normally. The lack of Industrial Revolution and subsequent evolution or education in the right left dichotomy is fairly unique.

 

[Andersonson]

What is anti LGBTQ+? How does a party become that? No room for trans people, or wont allow gay people to be married?

 

[moses]

What is anti LGBTQ+? How does a party become that? No room for trans people, or wont allow gay people to be married?

It's just basic intolerance of any 'other'. A lot of the anti LGBTQ+ (here in Ireland) is fueled and funded by the remnants of the church's influence like Opus Dei. Even the Political Parties are emphasising the Catholicism as part of the Nationalist vibe. Anti abortion, anti gay.

 

[sullydnl]

Been a while since I’ve looked at the polls but Sinn Fein as the most popular party and the younger generation(Like in the UK)are on the left.

So not too worried tbh.

I'd be less worried about the far right becoming an influence from a party political POV and more about them being a growing force in terms of harassment and violence.

 

[balaks]

Unfortunately it appears that quite a substantial percentage of people in every country are fecking utterly stupid and it's easy to blame other people for you failing in life which is essentially what they are doing. Thanks to social media we now are forced to listen to these utter dicks and their pathetic opinions.

 

[Andersonson]

It's just basic intolerance of any 'other'. A lot of the anti LGBTQ+ (here in Ireland) is fueled and funded by the remnants of the church's influence like Opus Dei. Even the Political Parties are emphasising the Catholicism as part of the Nationalist vibe. Anti abortion, anti gay.

Another reason to abolish religion imo

 

[moses]

I'd be less worried about the far right becoming an influence from a party political POV and more about them being a growing force in terms of harassment and violence.

Totally this, but also a few of these fecks elected and the whole narrative of the irish political landscape is hugely skewed.

 

[arnie_ni]

Unfortunately it appears that quite a substantial percentage of people in every country are fecking utterly stupid and it's easy to blame other people for you failing in life which is essentially what they are doing. Thanks to social media we now are forced to listen to these utter dicks and their pathetic opinions.

Yea no country is unique. Its happening everywhere

 

[moses]

Unfortunately it appears that quite a substantial percentage of people in every country are fecking utterly stupid and it's easy to blame other people for you failing in life which is essentially what they are doing. Thanks to social media we now are forced to listen to these utter dicks and their pathetic opinions.

I know what you are saying but this idea is itself a slippery slope. There are issues in Ireland and the idea that is an individual failing and not some structural issue as the stats say is part of the issue in my opinion.

Yea no country is unique. Its happening everywhere

While there is definitely a global trend, Ireland is unique in some ways as we haven’t had the history of this left/right dichotomy so can’t see the signs that other electorates find so recognisable. So there is an extra vulnerability there. In fact out nationalism was ideologically (if not actually) non toxic, with our flag a symbol of rebellion and hope in the face of Empire, the last remnants of the post empire nationalism, unique among the exclusionary nationalism Europe has seen this last 100 years. This is no longer the case.

 

[Mick1991]

Totally this, but also a few of these fecks elected and the whole narrative of the irish political landscape is hugely skewed.

That's the fear. They gain enough political capital and the bigger traditional parties might get sucked into the rhetoric.

 

[moses]

That's the fear. They gain enough political capital and the bigger traditional parties might get sucked into the rhetoric.

Well, exactly. The traditionally conservative centre right parties are falling apart in front of our eyes.

 

[moses]

The lot of these are fecking grifters, the prick in east cork stirring shit has no problem with him immigrating for economic reasons and no problem bringing his foreign national wife and kids back to Ireland, but other people doing it as refugees is a big no, prick is a thug with a record.

Is that yer man Blighe?

 

[christy87]

Is that yer man Blighe?

Yep, I’d rather not even say his name, he’s using the far right play book say shit get a following start a telegram saying I’m going to be kicked from face book, then start a go fund me and other avenues of grifting money like starting a party, Ireland first and charging 20 a head subscription which some of his own are giving out about, they are causing trouble in Fermoy at the moment blocking roads and trying to whip up tension, but it’s the usual red necks from the city turning up.

 

[moses]

Yep, I’d rather not even say his name, he’s using the far right play book say shit get a following start a telegram saying I’m going to be kicked from face book, then start a go fund me and other avenues of grifting money like starting a party, Ireland first and charging 20 a head subscription which some of his own are giving out about, they are causing trouble in Fermoy at the moment blocking roads and trying to whip up tension, but it’s the usual red necks from the city turning up.

Yeh, he's not alone, there's quite a shower of them. Some really nasty feckers up here in the northwest. I was reading about Fermoy alright.

 

[Sweet Square]

The polls don't tell the story, because of our politically centrist history the ground is much more ripe for right wing expansion than normally. The lack of Industrial Revolution and subsequent evolution or education in the right left dichotomy is fairly unique.

True but it’s a country that has recently made legal abortion and gay marriage, there doesn’t seem to be any sign of right wing upsurge with people under 50(Pretty sure a left wing Sinn Fein platform does well with all age groups).


Tbh Ireland just seems similar to the UK and the US in that the service economy is producing more social liberal people and the lack of accessibility to things like housing and good healthcare, ectis pushing people into more collective projects.

Could this be exploited by the right, yeah maybe I guess but conservative politics in the west is committed to zombie neoliberalism, which is creating conditions that are undermining its own political goals and values.

I'd be less worried about the far right becoming an influence from a party political POV and more about them being a growing force in terms of harassment and violence.

Yeah I would say this is the most likely case, as it’s something we are seeing all over the globe but the actual effects are very low.

 

[moses]

True but it’s a country that has recently made legal abortion and gay marriage, there doesn’t seem to be a sign of right wing upsurge with people under 50(Pretty sure a left wing Sinn Fein platform does well with all age groups).


Tbh it just seem similar to the UK and the US in that the service economy is producing more social liberal people and the lack of accessibility
to things like housing and good healthcare is pushing people into more collective projects.

Could this be exploited by the right, yeah maybe I guess but conservative politics in the west is committed to zombie neoliberalism, which is just creating conditions that are undermining its own political goals and values.

Yeah I would say this is the most likely case, as it’s something we are seeing all over the globe but the actual effects are very low.

The people who are rowing in behind this little surge of activity are frequently people who voted for choice and for gay marriage. That's my point, they are not ideologically right wing but angry and ideologically ignorant. We have no real interaction with the political spectrum so are falling for the silliest tropes. In all our years of revolution and yearning for a Republic, we lack the literature that the Yanks and the French have about the nature of the Republic. We had no industrial revolution so no urban or working class organising and representation. On a personal level it's quite frightening how quickly these narratives are being taken up be people who are not cnuts at all. Sinn Fein are a blessing in this regard because likewise, lots of folk don't really identify them as lefties, just very Irish and not of the two parties that have dominated. If not for Sinn Fein an awful lot of these left wing voters would switch 180 degrees with zero thought. It's quite volatile because of the lack of tradition.

 

[Arruda]

We have the same phenomenon in Portugal. Our dictatorship was right wing, so there was a huge left influence in the construction of democracy since 1974. Leftist constitution, mostly left-oriented governments and a pretty centrist conservative right.

Our Parliament was, until 3 years ago, one of the 3 or 4 in EU without far right MPs. Then we got one (in 230). Now we have 12, nearly 10 percent. Very noisy, but a bunch of ignorant idiots. Only smart one is the manipulative leader, whom I suspect is probably not even very politically minded. Just an oportunist who saw an opening and delineated his plan for power. Could be a centrist if they had given him a job, and his academic thesis is on social policies. Now he says he wrote it that way at the time to avoid being cancelled.

The most dangerous kind of politician. Truth is irrelevant, it's all a game.

Same shit all over the world. And where there is not yet, there will be soon.

People forget who gave them what they have, too quickly.

 

[moses]

The police seem to have twigged this might be an issue. They deployed the riot squad instead of 4 kids to manage the traffic.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/...public-order-unit-on-raised-risk-of-violence/

 

[2cents]

One of the Bradley brothers - convicted armed robbers and well known (former?) drug dealers - at the Finglas protest last night. And somehow the allegation that a Somali guy raped a local woman (just one variation of the rumor s circulating) made it into my WhatsApp, despite the Guards issuing a statement saying they are looking for info about a white Irish guy.

 

[Stack]

Sorry to hear this is happening in Ireland, the same thing has had an impact here with our PM recently calling it quits with abuse and death threats having taken its toll.

 

[DJ Jeff]

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I imagine this has more to do with it than anything. Those are utterly insane numbers.

 

[moses]

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I imagine this has more to do with it than anything. Those are utterly insane numbers.

It's a factor. But the default to hate and fear-mongering is the issue.

 

[moses]

Illiterate racists plan marches all over the northwest this week.

 

[DJ Jeff]

It's a factor. But the default to hate and fear-mongering is the issue.

An equivalent number in the UK would be 2.5 million arriving in a year.

 

[Raven]

Illiterate racists plan marches all over the northwest this week.

Utter scum. I've been invited to a counter march in Dublin this month but I have a feeling it could get quite violent quite quickly.

 

[moses]

An equivalent number in the UK would be 2.5 million arriving in a year.

There's lots of factors though. Firstly that's not actual numbers. Secondly it's skewed by our government kissing EU and Nato ass by taking so many Ukrainians. Thirdly it's the shitshows they are leaving. Also immigration fuels the economy in advanced nations and we are much much less densely populated than the UK.

None of this excuses the hate in the posted above.

 

[moses]

Utter scum. I've been invited to a counter march in Dublin this month but I have a feeling it could get quite violent quite quickly.

Tonight I'm going to that one and one in Carrick just to see the scale and the faces.

That's the consensus of most in the area. Just let them identify themselves and see what protagonists show up.

 

[Raven]

Tonight I'm going to that one and one in Carrick just to see the scale and the faces.

That's the consensus of most in the area. Just let them identify themselves and see what protagonists show up.

Probably a good idea and will work especially well in smaller communities where you can get an idea for which of your neighbours are harbouring these feelings. This march in Dublin appears to be quite significant though, it's union organised and they're busing people in from far and wide (I'm not a Dub myself). Given some of the videos coming from that attempted Pegida march a couple of years back, I feel this could be similar. We really do need to be doing all we can to kick fascism back into the history books but I'm not sure having a first fight with a bunch of racists on the streets of Dublin is for me.

 

[moses]

Probably a good idea and will work especially well in smaller communities where you can get an idea for which of your neighbours are harbouring these feelings. This march in Dublin appears to be quite significant though, it's union organised and they're busing people in from far and wide (I'm not a Dub myself). Given some of the videos coming from that attempted Pegida march a couple of years back, I feel this could be similar. We really do need to be doing all we can to kick fascism back into the history books but I'm not sure having a first fight with a bunch of racists on the streets of Dublin is for me.

We are an odd little petri dish, we, until now had no organised right, and subsequently have no real organised left. The next few years are going to be key.

The left that is here is more orientated towards free trade coffee than smashing or even recognising fascism.

Mostly I think the march on the 18th will be fine. I'll be there with my daughters and their mates.

Where are you from?

 

[horsechoker]

We are an odd little petri dish, we, until now had no organised right, and subsequently have no real organised left. The next few years are going to be key.

The left that is here is more orientated towards free trade coffee than smashing or even recognising fascism.

Mostly I think the march on the 18th will be fine. I'll be there with my daughters and their mates.

Where are you from?

fecking hell, I thought you were one of the good guys!

 

[moses]

fecking hell, I thought you were one of the good guys!

Deep cover horsey. My main thing is to identify foreigners and get cooking tips.

 

[Raven]

We are an odd little petri dish, we, until now had no organised right, and subsequently have no real organised left. The next few years are going to be key.

The left that is here is more orientated towards free trade coffee than smashing or even recognising fascism.

Mostly I think the march on the 18th will be fine. I'll be there with my daughters and their mates.

Where are you from?

I suppose a lot of the more rural areas in Ireland won't be too left or right orientated at the moment. I think the next few years will be key in fighting the right nationwide. I don't think most people have realised how big a problem this is just yet.

There will obviously be a fairly big turn out on the 18th so then. Hopefully it can be shown that these far right bigots and their dangerous ideas aren't welcome on this island.

I'm a Cork man, I think there's a few organised buses going from here.

 

[moses]

I suppose a lot of the more rural areas in Ireland won't be too left or right orientated at the moment. I think the next few years will be key in fighting the right nationwide. I don't think most people have realised how big a problem this is just yet.

There will obviously be a fairly big turn out on the 18th so then. Hopefully it can be shown that these far right bigots and their dangerous ideas aren't welcome on this island.

I'm a Cork man, I think there's a few organised buses going from here.

To be honest there is quite a lot of non ideological racism in rural Ireland. Just ignorance and laziness, and this is the danger with a busy activist ideological vanguard. They can get support very quickly. That's why their schtik at the moment is that they are just protecting their communities from broad stroke government policies. Which appeals to most communities, as all sections of the country feel a bit put upon by government policy.

The thing is all their legit issues have existing legit bodies to deal, whether it be violence towards women or housing but they don't engage with these bodies as they don't actually give a feck, instead they try and anger the populace.

 

[buchansleftleg]

I really hope Ireland can nip this sort of bullshit in the bud. I've recently moved over from England to get away from this right wing vitriol.

What gives me hope is that Irish Journalism seems way better than the gutter nonsense spread by even broadsheet papers in England. You also seem to have a good deal of political accountability where minister actual resign without being forced out. I really hope Irish media doen't start giving attention to these people because their views create lots of "clicks"

What I would say worries me is that the argument of "theyr'e all the same" seems to be being used by Sinn Fein to attack both the main parties and that feels counter-productive to me.

Ireland's treatment of immigrants and refugees is to be lauded and shouldn't be dragged into debates around existing problems like housing etc.

I appreciate I may be being hopelessly naive here as I don't know much about Irish politics, so feel free to enlighten me, but I just don't want Ireland to become something similar to the toxic mess I left in England

 

[T00lsh3d]

I really hope Ireland can nip this sort of bullshit in the bud. I've recently moved over from England to get away from this right wing vitriol.

What gives me hope is that Irish Journalism seems way better than the gutter nonsense spread by even broadsheet papers in England. You also seem to have a good deal of political accountability where minister actual resign without being forced out. I really hope Irish media doen't start giving attention to these people because their views create lots of "clicks"

What I would say worries me is that the argument of "theyr'e all the same" seems to be being used by Sinn Fein to attack both the main parties and that feels counter-productive to me.

Ireland's treatment of immigrants and refugees is to be lauded and shouldn't be dragged into debates around existing problems like housing etc.

I appreciate I may be being hopelessly naive here as I don't know much about Irish politics, so feel free to enlighten me, but I just don't want Ireland to become something similar to the toxic mess I left in England

Just curious, did you really move primarily to avoid right wing society? Was there a job change or family thing….or was it purely for that reason?

 

[Member 125398]

We have the same phenomenon in Portugal. Our dictatorship was right wing, so there was a huge left influence in the construction of democracy since 1974. Leftist constitution, mostly left-oriented governments and a pretty centrist conservative right.

Our Parliament was, until 3 years ago, one of the 3 or 4 in EU without far right MPs. Then we got one (in 230). Now we have 12, nearly 10 percent. Very noisy, but a bunch of ignorant idiots. Only smart one is the manipulative leader, whom I suspect is probably not even very politically minded. Just an oportunist who saw an opening and delineated his plan for power. Could be a centrist if they had given him a job, and his academic thesis is on social policies. Now he says he wrote it that way at the time to avoid being cancelled.

The most dangerous kind of politician. Truth is irrelevant, it's all a game.

Same shit all over the world. And where there is not yet, there will be soon.

People forget who gave them what they have, too quickly.

I wouldn't discount that Chega are getting a lot of help from our transatlantic friends. The problem for Portugal is that it now has an, essentially, centrist government which is immobile and not really for the benefit of anyone. The American styled new right is incredibly good at exploiting these situations. Portugal needs to get more friendly with the Spanish left and together see off Chega and Vox with innovative policies or there are dark times ahead.