theirishtimes--2020-09-19--The far right rises: Its growth as a political force in Ireland

Shortly after 3pm last Saturday , messaging accounts belonging to Ireland ’ s most active far-right activists began to light up with glee .
“ Ever see a lesbian bleed before ?
” a poster named “ Irelands Woes ” asked their 1,650 subscribers .
“ The left must have a fetish for getting beaten up , ” said another poster calling themselves “ Edgy memes na hÉireann ” .
Their joy on Saturday was caused by an assault on a veteran LGBT+ campaigner who goes by the name Izzy Kamikaze , who had been attacked while counter-protesting an anti-face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was hit by a piece of wood wrapped in a tricolour , leaving her with a nasty head wound that required hospital treatment .
The words of the posters are almost as ugly as the attack itself .
The people who wrote them are part of what experts and gardaí believe is a growing far-right movement in Ireland – one that is attempting to hijack social concerns in a bid for the mainstream support .
Until recently these movements existed almost entirely online , often in the shadier corners of the internet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ child protection and , more recently , opposition to Covid-19 measures , have brought the far right onto the streets .
Violence has sometimes followed close behind .
The messages above – and others like them – were posted on Telegram , a platform popular among the Irish far right due in part to its almost complete lack of moderation .
Telegram has a much lower profile than mainstream social sites and allows users complete anonymity .
Hidden by this cloak , they are often very forthright in their views .
Anti-Semitism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minorities – positions that can result in users being banned from Facebook and Twitter – are celebrated in many of the Telegram communities .
It is also a forum where activists plan ways of getting their message out to what they call the “ normies ” , i.e.
, the general public .
These schemes include organising users to flood social media with racist comments about an RTÉ show about black Irish people , and placing anti-Semitic stickers on Dublin lampposts at night .
The masked man who hit Kamikaze at Leinster House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing badges that read “ Antifa Hunting Permit .
Open Season .
All 58 Genders.
” ( Antifa , short for Anti-Fascist , is a left-wing , decentralised protest movement which has gained prominence in the US in recent years for aggressively , and sometimes violently , protesting against the far right . )
The attack on Kamikaze was the second violent incident involving far-right activists in a month .
On August 22nd , a group of men wearing face masks and surgical gloves and armed with a variety of weapons clashed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Dublin ’ s Customs House .
Some of the group , which made up a tiny minority of those attending the event , would later claim they were protecting demonstrators from “ Antifa ” .
With similar demonstrations and marches planned over the next several weekends , gardaí fear the violence could escalate .
It is not clear how lockdown measures might affect this activity .
Back on Telegram , the glee over Kamikaze ’ s injury soon turned to suspicion that she had faked it to make far-right activists look bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some sort of blood pack for added realism .
Users were instructed to spread this theory on social media .
Gardaí have been concerned about the burgeoning far right in Ireland for some time .
Some years ago a small unit was tasked with monitoring their online content – but only last year were these fears voiced publicly .
“ I am concerned about right-wing extremism .
We can see evidence of it on our shores as we have seen it spread across Europe , ” Commissioner Drew Harris said in November .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a marked increase in far-right activity in Ireland , adding that “ known criminal elements have been identified as affiliated with right-wing protests ” .
According to Garda sources this referred to former dissident republicans , drug dealers and burglars .
Several of the men involved in the violence at the Customs House in August were previously members of the apparently defunct group Generation Identity and , according to security sources , are believed to have attended combat and survival training courses abroad with the group .
The term “ far right ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some on the left apply it to anyone to the right of the mainstream political parties .
Some conservatives see the term “ far right ” as a way of denigrating mainstream conservative views such as strong immigration controls and opposition to abortion .
But if the term is taken to mean groups with extreme views , such as belief in the anti-Semitic “ great replacement ” conspiracy theory , or who have established links to European neo-Nazi or fascist groups , then there is little doubt the movement has grown in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and monitoring groups .
“ Certainly in the last year there has been proliferation of groups and there has been growth in the likes and shares they are getting on social media , ” says Shane O ’ Curry of the European Network against Racism Ireland ( Enar ) .
Enar received 530 reports of racist incidents in 2019 , an increase of 140 on 2018 figures .
And according to Dr Eileen Culloty , a disinformation researcher at DCU , far-right activity has accelerated since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ scapegoating minorities for breaking the lockdown rules , even though minorities are making up a large proportion of the key workers keeping Europe open .
“ Then over the summer it moved towards exploiting people ’ s frustration over the restrictions and claiming Covid was a hoax .
And then , in the last month or so , it has culminated in these anti-mask demonstrations that are popping up around Europe.
” Involvement of the far right in European anti-mask protests is most evident in Germany where , on August 29th , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members tried to storm the German parliament after a demonstration .
Far-right groups have been active participants in anti-lockdown protests in Dublin , including one in August and two separate events last weekend .
Philip Dwyer , a National Party candidate who received 508 votes in the last general election , boasted about providing security at the Customs House protest in August .
Party members also unfurled a banner at the event reading “ Ireland belongs to the Irish ” .
The National Party , which was founded in 2016 , describes itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fulfilment of the Irish national idea ” .
Its leader Justin Barrett has called for the deportation of non-ethnic Irish people such as Dublin Lord Mayor Hazel Chu and has said his party is for straight Irish people only .
The organisers of the August protest , Health Freedom Ireland ( HFI ) , says it is a non-political group and that all are welcome at its events .
HFI bills itself as a group which “ actively supports medical freedom of its citizens ” .
“ We ask that all people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of our concerns set aside any other differences they may have and unite for the common concerns that we all have in a peaceful manner , ” founder Maeve Murran told The Irish Times .
She says it is not in contact with Dwyer or the National Party .
“ We can not control who is going to show up and who might share our views on this topic , ” she says .
“ We are protesting for a very specific reason and we don ’ t expect every participant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The far right was also present at a similar protest last Saturday led by the Yellow Vests , a populist protest movement set up to emulate the French Gilets Jaunes .
It has protested on a broad range of issues in recent years , including vulture funds , property taxes and the banking system .
It is also a vocal critic of the immigration system .
Its march on Saturday was led by a formal “ colour party ” made up of members of a Donegal-based far-right group called Siol na hÉireann @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell describes it as a “ hard line Irish Catholic Nationalist Party ” .
In fact Siol na hÉireann is a registered company ; McConnell stood in the last general election as an independent and received 580 votes .
McConnell was also one of the speakers at the Yellow Vest protest where he railed against “ LGBT propaganda ” and equated immigration to a “ plantation ” .
Yellow Vest leaders later spoke out against McConnell ’ s speech and said all were welcome at their protests .
Neither the Yellow Vests nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the march .
The Donegal man , who is a sheep farmer by trade , regularly hosts members of European fascist parties , such as the German NDP and the Romanian Noua Dreapta , on his YouTube channel .
Last month he and his followers attracted headlines when they confronted a priest in Ballyhaunis who had allowed two members of the Muslim community to give a blessing at Mass .
In a video uploaded online , the group accused Fr Stephen Farragher of being a “ heretic ” and of “ bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church .
The far right is a tiny minority of the attendees at the Yellow Vest and HFI-led protests .
Culloty says it is important to realise that people attending these protests are from a broad range of backgrounds .
Some believe in conspiracy theories about the virus but have no problem with immigration .
Others , probably the majority , simply think the Government restrictions have gone too far .
Initially the crowd at Saturday ’ s demonstration cheered McConnell when he lambasted the Government and EU but were noticeably silent when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One of the speakers at the HFI protest in August was Dr Marcus de Brun , a Rush GP who has been a vocal critic of the Government restrictions .
“ I would consider myself liberal , left-leaning in my political outlook , ” he tells The Irish Times , adding that he shares concerns about far-right elements inserting themselves into the anti-restrictions movement .
“ I would have nothing to do with the Irish Freedom Party [ whose leaders also spoke at the protest ] or the National Party.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to campaign for Irish withdrawal from the EU .
Its leader , Hermann Kelly has advocated for a “ monocultural ” Irish society and been a proponent of the “ great replacement ” , a conspiracy theory stating western governments are intentionally replacing their native populations with immigrants .
At least some of the blame for the growth of the far right , says de Brun , lies with the media , including The Irish Times , and the mainstream establishment which is afraid of going against the narrative on Covid-19 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this vacuum that got filled up very , very quickly by the same people who object to everything in order to try and get a foothold on public platforms.
” Opposition to Covid-19 measures is merely the latest cause hijacked by the far right , says Mark Malone , a member the Far-right Observatory , an informal network of anti-racism activists which monitors the Irish far right .
“ They like to jump on bandwagons .
For some of them it ’ s cash motivated ; the bigger their audience , the more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merchandise sales .
For others , it ’ s about building up an infrastructure and growing it.
” Last year , activists focused on the opening of direct provision centres in rural Ireland , often travelling to prospective host towns and spreading disinformation about the asylum system .
Their advice was often rejected by locals .
In July , the Irish Freedom Party , the National Party and an activist called Michael O ’ Keeffe , who often goes by the online pseudonym Chopper , helped organise a rally outside the Dáil demanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O ’ Gorman who they accused of being sympathetic to paedophiles .
O ’ Gorman faced weeks of abuse before and after the event because of a 2018 photograph of him at a Pride March alongside UK LGBT+ campaign Peter Tatchell , who in 1997 wrote a controversial letter to the Guardian newspaper concerning sex between adults and children .
By their own measures the event was a success for the far right .
About 1,000 people stood and listened to an address by Barrett , the National Party leader , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some of the crowd held up placards depicting a noose .
The event was also addressed by actor John Connors ( he later said he regretted attending and apologised to O ’ Gorman ) .
“ The accusations are rooted in homophobia , stoked by anonymous , far-right Twitter accounts , ” O ’ Gorman said later .
“ These accounts are using manipulation for their own ends , playing upon the genuine deeply held concern we all share for child protection.
” The far right , both here and abroad , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ videos regularly show activists accusing counter-protesters of being “ paedo-scum ” or some variation thereof .
According to Aoife Gallagher , an analyst with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue ( ISD ) , a counter-extremism organisation , much of this comes from the QAnon conspiracy theory popular with the US far right .
QAnon is shorthand for an array of fantastical theories , including a belief that the highest levels of government has been taken over by paedophiles .
Gallagher says Irish far-right groups believe O ’ Gorman is a “ perfect target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an openly gay man and Minister for Children , ” she says .
“ The far right have been linking paedophilia to homosexuality for decades , mostly down to a complete ignorance about LGBTQ lives and lifestyles.
” Far-right activists achieved another breakthrough of sorts this year when they sought to shape the narrative around an attack on a white teenager by a black assailant .
The endeavour , spearheaded by O ’ Keeffe , focused on portraying the incident as a racial attack despite gardaí saying there appeared to be a different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to break the internet , ” O ’ Keeffe announced on Twitter , a reference to his loose collective of far-right activists .
Over on 4Chan , an online discussion board infamous for its unrestrained racism , an anonymous user implored readers to take to social media and fight back against the “ narrative ” that the incident was not racially motivated .
Readers were asked to “ reply to all the lefties ” and “ drown them out … Take control of the narrative now ” .
The call to arms was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 350 replies ; 68 of them mentioning the offensive word “ n****r ” .
It is a well-worn strategy , according to Ross Frenett , the founder of Moonshot CVE , a London-based technology company that studies online violent extremism .
Online activists spot reports of crime involving a black or Muslim perpetrator .
The incident will then be artificially amplified with the aim of having a prominent right-wing personality such as Katie Hopkins , or even one of the Trump family pick up it and make it go mainstream .
Data gathered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the tweets about the assault came from Irish accounts .
Eighteen per cent came from the US .
“ While these individual far-right groups in Ireland seem very small they are part of a bigger international network of far-right extremists across Europe and the US where they are emboldened by leaders like Donald Trump or Victor Orban in Hungary .
They learn from each other and feed off each other , ” says Culloty “ They are able to mobilise social media campaigns to turn some relatively small event involving migrants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world by this international group.
” Speaking to The Irish Times in June , O ’ Keeffe denied being part of the 4Chan aspect of the operation .
“ 4chan has a mind of its own and they like to take credit for things they haven ’ t done , ” he said .
Asked what Patriot Analytica is , he said it is “ a group of people all over the island who cover the stories your employer refuses to ” .
The future prospects of the Irish far right remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jealousy means the far right remains a fragmented movement here , says Gallagher , the analyst from ISD .
“ A lot of the different groups are very , very fractured and they don ’ t seem to be able to get along that well.
” A case in point is McConnell who has been shunned by much of the far right in the past week .
One of the reasons for this is his address to Saturday ’ s anti-mask rally .
According to Telegram users , McConnell was too upfront with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the presence of the general public , a cardinal sin for far-right activists .
“ He is the biggest threat to Irish nationalism right now , ” fretted one Telegram user shortly afterwards .
Others believe he is only out to make money through donation appeals and selling Michael Collins T-shirts .
For his part , McConnell has said he is suing members of the National Party .
He is currently seeking donations for his legal fund .
Also shunned by many activists is Gemma O ’ Doherty a former journalist who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the most prominent figures in the far-right movement .
The Dublin woman has regularly uploaded videos railing against LGBT+ people , Muslims and immigrants as well as conspiracy theories alleging the Jewish philanthropist George Soros was behind a plan to flood Ireland with immigrants .
O ’ Doherty told her followers recently she was not welcome at July ’ s Roderic O ’ Gorman protest .
Also against the movement is the fact that , after much criticism , social media companies are beginning to wake up to the problem here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google , has long been accused of allowing people to become radicalised by extremist content through its video recommendation algorithms .
In response it overhauled its algorithm and updated its hate-speech policy , leading to a five-fold increase in the number of channels being removed .
“ Our policies are consistently changing and evolving just as societies change and evolve , ” a spokeswoman said .
Monitoring at Twitter ’ s Dublin offices has improved in recent months , leading to far-right accounts being removed with greater frequency .
This includes the account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed from the platform in July , having been banned from YouTube and Facebook in 2019 .
This has had serious knock-on effects on O ’ Doherty ’ s ability to spread her message .
In recent months her personal website has fallen about 400,000 places in the global rankings .
The far right ’ s electoral prospects appear similarly grim , although not all would agree with that .
Some 30 candidates competed in the most recent general election on a far-right platform .
None polled high enough to even get their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for concern , says DCU political scientist Dr Eoin O ’ Malley .
The growing opposition to Covid restrictions combined with a lack of other anti-establishment parties – now that Sinn Féin has gone “ mainstream ” – mean there is fertile ground for growth , O ’ Malley says .
“ The conditions are as good as they ’ re going to get for them in Ireland .
There is more of a possibility of electoral success than I ’ ve seen in a long time .
”

Shortly after 3pm last Saturday, messaging accounts belonging to Ireland’s most active far-right activists began to light up with glee.
“Ever see a lesbian bleed before?” a poster named “Irelands Woes” asked their 1,650 subscribers. “The left must have a fetish for getting beaten up,” said another poster calling themselves “Edgy memes na hÉireann”.
Their joy on Saturday was caused by an assault on a veteran LGBT+ campaigner who goes by the name Izzy Kamikaze, who had been attacked while counter-protesting an anti-face mask rally outside Leinster House. Kamikaze was hit by a piece of wood wrapped in a tricolour, leaving her with a nasty head wound that required hospital treatment.
The words of the posters are almost as ugly as the attack itself. The people who wrote them are part of what experts and gardaí believe is a growing far-right movement in Ireland – one that is attempting to hijack social concerns in a bid for the mainstream support.
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Until recently these movements existed almost entirely online, often in the shadier corners of the internet. But issues such as direct provision, child protection and, more recently, opposition to Covid-19 measures, have brought the far right onto the streets. Violence has sometimes followed close behind.
The messages above – and others like them – were posted on Telegram, a platform popular among the Irish far right due in part to its almost complete lack of moderation. Telegram has a much lower profile than mainstream social sites and allows users complete anonymity. Hidden by this cloak, they are often very forthright in their views.
On Telegram, glee over Kamikaze's injury soon turned to suspicion that she had faked it to make far-right activists look bad
Anti-Semitism, neo-Nazism and the promotion of violence against minorities – positions that can result in users being banned from Facebook and Twitter – are celebrated in many of the Telegram communities.
It is also a forum where activists plan ways of getting their message out to what they call the “normies”, i.e., the general public. These schemes include organising users to flood social media with racist comments about an RTÉ show about black Irish people, and placing anti-Semitic stickers on Dublin lampposts at night.
The masked man who hit Kamikaze at Leinster House was part of a group of protesters wearing badges that read “Antifa Hunting Permit. Open Season. All 58 Genders.” (Antifa, short for Anti-Fascist, is a left-wing, decentralised protest movement which has gained prominence in the US in recent years for aggressively, and sometimes violently, protesting against the far right.)
The attack on Kamikaze was the second violent incident involving far-right activists in a month. On August 22nd, a group of men wearing face masks and surgical gloves and armed with a variety of weapons clashed with counter-protesters at a much bigger anti-mask demonstration at Dublin’s Customs House. Some of the group, which made up a tiny minority of those attending the event, would later claim they were protecting demonstrators from “Antifa”.
With similar demonstrations and marches planned over the next several weekends, gardaí fear the violence could escalate. It is not clear how lockdown measures might affect this activity.
Back on Telegram, the glee over Kamikaze’s injury soon turned to suspicion that she had faked it to make far-right activists look bad. Several posters asserted she had employed some sort of blood pack for added realism. Users were instructed to spread this theory on social media.
Gardaí have been concerned about the burgeoning far right in Ireland for some time. Some years ago a small unit was tasked with monitoring their online content – but only last year were these fears voiced publicly.
“I am concerned about right-wing extremism. We can see evidence of it on our shores as we have seen it spread across Europe,” Commissioner Drew Harris said in November.
In June, Europol also warned of a marked increase in far-right activity in Ireland, adding that “known criminal elements have been identified as affiliated with right-wing protests”.
According to Garda sources this referred to former dissident republicans, drug dealers and burglars.
According to Dr Eileen Culloty, a disinformation researcher at DCU, far-right activity has accelerated since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic
Several of the men involved in the violence at the Customs House in August were previously members of the apparently defunct group Generation Identity and, according to security sources, are believed to have attended combat and survival training courses abroad with the group.
The term “far right” can be a clumsy and vague label. Some on the left apply it to anyone to the right of the mainstream political parties. Some conservatives see the term “far right” as a way of denigrating mainstream conservative views such as strong immigration controls and opposition to abortion.
But if the term is taken to mean groups with extreme views, such as belief in the anti-Semitic “great replacement” conspiracy theory, or who have established links to European neo-Nazi or fascist groups, then there is little doubt the movement has grown in recent years, according to the Garda and monitoring groups.
“Certainly in the last year there has been proliferation of groups and there has been growth in the likes and shares they are getting on social media,” says Shane O’Curry of the European Network against Racism Ireland (Enar).
Enar received 530 reports of racist incidents in 2019, an increase of 140 on 2018 figures.
And according to Dr Eileen Culloty, a disinformation researcher at DCU, far-right activity has accelerated since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Back in March they were mostly scapegoating minorities for breaking the lockdown rules, even though minorities are making up a large proportion of the key workers keeping Europe open.
“Then over the summer it moved towards exploiting people’s frustration over the restrictions and claiming Covid was a hoax. And then, in the last month or so, it has culminated in these anti-mask demonstrations that are popping up around Europe.”
Involvement of the far right in European anti-mask protests is most evident in Germany where, on August 29th, a group of activists that included far right members tried to storm the German parliament after a demonstration.
Far-right groups have been active participants in anti-lockdown protests in Dublin, including one in August and two separate events last weekend.
Philip Dwyer, a National Party candidate who received 508 votes in the last general election, boasted about providing security at the Customs House protest in August. Party members also unfurled a banner at the event reading “Ireland belongs to the Irish”.
The far right is a tiny minority of the attendees at the Yellow Vest and HFI-led protests
The National Party, which was founded in 2016, describes itself as “Irish nationalist party dedicated to the fulfilment of the Irish national idea”. Its leader Justin Barrett has called for the deportation of non-ethnic Irish people such as Dublin Lord Mayor Hazel Chu and has said his party is for straight Irish people only.
The organisers of the August protest, Health Freedom Ireland (HFI), says it is a non-political group and that all are welcome at its events.
HFI bills itself as a group which “actively supports medical freedom of its citizens”. “We ask that all people in this country that share some or all of our concerns set aside any other differences they may have and unite for the common concerns that we all have in a peaceful manner,” founder Maeve Murran told The Irish Times.
She says it is not in contact with Dwyer or the National Party. “We cannot control who is going to show up and who might share our views on this topic,” she says. “We are protesting for a very specific reason and we don’t expect every participant to agree with us on everything else also.”
The far right was also present at a similar protest last Saturday led by the Yellow Vests, a populist protest movement set up to emulate the French Gilets Jaunes. It has protested on a broad range of issues in recent years, including vulture funds, property taxes and the banking system. It is also a vocal critic of the immigration system.
Its march on Saturday was led by a formal “colour party” made up of members of a Donegal-based far-right group called Siol na hÉireann.
The group’s founder Niall McConnell describes it as a “hard line Irish Catholic Nationalist Party”. In fact Siol na hÉireann is a registered company; McConnell stood in the last general election as an independent and received 580 votes.
McConnell was also one of the speakers at the Yellow Vest protest where he railed against “LGBT propaganda” and equated immigration to a “plantation”.
Yellow Vest leaders later spoke out against McConnell’s speech and said all were welcome at their protests. Neither the Yellow Vests nor McConnell responded to queries about his role in the march.
The Donegal man, who is a sheep farmer by trade, regularly hosts members of European fascist parties, such as the German NDP and the Romanian Noua Dreapta, on his YouTube channel.
Last month he and his followers attracted headlines when they confronted a priest in Ballyhaunis who had allowed two members of the Muslim community to give a blessing at Mass. In a video uploaded online, the group accused Fr Stephen Farragher of being a “heretic” and of “bringing foreign, satanic cultists” into the Church.
A crowd gathered for a Yellow Vest protest in Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
The far right is a tiny minority of the attendees at the Yellow Vest and HFI-led protests. Culloty says it is important to realise that people attending these protests are from a broad range of backgrounds.
Some believe in conspiracy theories about the virus but have no problem with immigration. Others, probably the majority, simply think the Government restrictions have gone too far.
Initially the crowd at Saturday’s demonstration cheered McConnell when he lambasted the Government and EU but were noticeably silent when he moved onto immigration and LGBT+ criticism.
One of the speakers at the HFI protest in August was Dr Marcus de Brun, a Rush GP who has been a vocal critic of the Government restrictions.
“I would consider myself liberal, left-leaning in my political outlook,” he tells The Irish Times, adding that he shares concerns about far-right elements inserting themselves into the anti-restrictions movement.
“I would have nothing to do with the Irish Freedom Party [whose leaders also spoke at the protest] or the National Party.” The Irish Freedom Party was launched in 2018 to campaign for Irish withdrawal from the EU. Its leader, Hermann Kelly has advocated for a “monocultural” Irish society and been a proponent of the “great replacement”, a conspiracy theory stating western governments are intentionally replacing their native populations with immigrants.
At least some of the blame for the growth of the far right, says de Brun, lies with the media, including The Irish Times, and the mainstream establishment which is afraid of going against the narrative on Covid-19.
“So you’re really left with this vacuum that got filled up very, very quickly by the same people who object to everything in order to try and get a foothold on public platforms.”
Opposition to Covid-19 measures is merely the latest cause hijacked by the far right, says a member the Far-right Observatory, an informal network of anti-racism activists which monitors the Irish far right.
“They like to jump on bandwagons. For some of them it’s cash motivated; the bigger their audience, the more money comes in from YouTube views and merchandise sales. For others, it’s about building up an infrastructure and growing it.”
Last year, activists focused on the opening of direct provision centres in rural Ireland, often travelling to prospective host towns and spreading disinformation about the asylum system. Their advice was often rejected by locals.
In July, the Irish Freedom Party, the National Party and an activist called Michael O’Keeffe, who often goes by the online pseudonym Chopper, helped organise a rally outside the Dáil demanding the resignation of Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman who they accused of being sympathetic to paedophiles.
O’Gorman faced weeks of abuse before and after the event because of a 2018 photograph of him at a Pride March alongside UK LGBT+ campaign Peter Tatchell, who in 1997 wrote a controversial letter to the Guardian newspaper concerning sex between adults and children.
By their own measures the event was a success for the far right. About 1,000 people stood and listened to an address by Barrett, the National Party leader, who has previously spoken at neo-Nazi rallies in Europe. Some of the crowd held up placards depicting a noose.
The event was also addressed by actor John Connors (he later said he regretted attending and apologised to O’Gorman).
“The accusations are rooted in homophobia, stoked by anonymous, far-right Twitter accounts,” O’Gorman said later. “These accounts are using manipulation for their own ends, playing upon the genuine deeply held concern we all share for child protection.”
The far right, both here and abroad, has developed an obsession with paedophilia; videos regularly show activists accusing counter-protesters of being “paedo-scum” or some variation thereof.
According to Aoife Gallagher, an analyst with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), a counter-extremism organisation, much of this comes from the QAnon conspiracy theory popular with the US far right.
QAnon is shorthand for an array of fantastical theories, including a belief that the highest levels of government has been taken over by paedophiles.
Gallagher says Irish far-right groups believe O’Gorman is a “perfect target” … “given that he is an openly gay man and Minister for Children,” she says. “The far right have been linking paedophilia to homosexuality for decades, mostly down to a complete ignorance about LGBTQ lives and lifestyles.”
Far-right activists achieved another breakthrough of sorts this year when they sought to shape the narrative around an attack on a white teenager by a black assailant.
The endeavour, spearheaded by O’Keeffe, focused on portraying the incident as a racial attack despite gardaí saying there appeared to be a different motive.
“Patriot Analytica are about to break the internet,” O’Keeffe announced on Twitter, a reference to his loose collective of far-right activists.
Over on 4Chan, an online discussion board infamous for its unrestrained racism, an anonymous user implored readers to take to social media and fight back against the “narrative” that the incident was not racially motivated.
Readers were asked to “reply to all the lefties” and “drown them out … Take control of the narrative now”.
'They are able to mobilise social media campaigns to turn some relatively small event involving migrants and crime and then that gets amplified around the world'
The call to arms was successful. The 4Chan thread attracted some 350 replies; 68 of them mentioning the offensive word “n****r”.
It is a well-worn strategy, according to Ross Frenett, the founder of Moonshot CVE, a London-based technology company that studies online violent extremism.
Online activists spot reports of crime involving a black or Muslim perpetrator. The incident will then be artificially amplified with the aim of having a prominent right-wing personality such as Katie Hopkins, or even one of the Trump family pick up it and make it go mainstream.
Data gathered by Moonshot showed only 39 per cent of the tweets about the assault came from Irish accounts. Eighteen per cent came from the US.
“While these individual far-right groups in Ireland seem very small they are part of a bigger international network of far-right extremists across Europe and the US where they are emboldened by leaders like Donald Trump or Victor Orban in Hungary. They learn from each other and feed off each other,” says Culloty
“They are able to mobilise social media campaigns to turn some relatively small event involving migrants and crime and then that gets amplified around the world by this international group.”
Speaking to The Irish Times in June, O’Keeffe denied being part of the 4Chan aspect of the operation. “4chan has a mind of its own and they like to take credit for things they haven’t done,” he said.
Asked what Patriot Analytica is, he said it is “a group of people all over the island who cover the stories your employer refuses to”.
The future prospects of the Irish far right remain unclear. Despite appearances, mistrust and jealousy means the far right remains a fragmented movement here, says Gallagher, the analyst from ISD.
“A lot of the different groups are very, very fractured and they don’t seem to be able to get along that well.”
A case in point is McConnell who has been shunned by much of the far right in the past week. One of the reasons for this is his address to Saturday’s anti-mask rally.
According to Telegram users, McConnell was too upfront with his views on immigration and LGBT+ people in the presence of the general public, a cardinal sin for far-right activists. “He is the biggest threat to Irish nationalism right now,” fretted one Telegram user shortly afterwards.
Others believe he is only out to make money through donation appeals and selling Michael Collins T-shirts. For his part, McConnell has said he is suing members of the National Party. He is currently seeking donations for his legal fund.
Also shunned by many activists is Gemma O’Doherty a former journalist who, until recently at least, was one of the most prominent figures in the far-right movement. The Dublin woman has regularly uploaded videos railing against LGBT+ people, Muslims and immigrants as well as conspiracy theories alleging the Jewish philanthropist George Soros was behind a plan to flood Ireland with immigrants.
O’Doherty told her followers recently she was not welcome at July’s Roderic O’Gorman protest.
Also against the movement is the fact that, after much criticism, social media companies are beginning to wake up to the problem here. YouTube, which is owned by Google, has long been accused of allowing people to become radicalised by extremist content through its video recommendation algorithms.
In response it overhauled its algorithm and updated its hate-speech policy, leading to a five-fold increase in the number of channels being removed.
“Our policies are consistently changing and evolving just as societies change and evolve,” a spokeswoman said.
Monitoring at Twitter’s Dublin offices has improved in recent months, leading to far-right accounts being removed with greater frequency. This includes the account of O’Doherty, who was removed from the platform in July, having been banned from YouTube and Facebook in 2019.
This has had serious knock-on effects on O’Doherty’s ability to spread her message. In recent months her personal website has fallen about 400,000 places in the global rankings.
The far right’s electoral prospects appear similarly grim, although not all would agree with that. Some 30 candidates competed in the most recent general election on a far-right platform. None polled high enough to even get their expenses back.
But there is cause for concern, says DCU political scientist Dr Eoin O’Malley.
The growing opposition to Covid restrictions combined with a lack of other anti-establishment parties – now that Sinn Féin has gone “mainstream” – mean there is fertile ground for growth, O’Malley says.
“The conditions are as good as they’re going to get for them in Ireland. There is more of a possibility of electoral success than I’ve seen in a long time.”


theirishtimes--2020-09-19--What is this slug on our patio? Readers’ nature queries

We saw this slug on our patio .
Can you please identify it ?
– Kayla ( 12 ) , Zoe ( 10 ) Hutchinson , Ballinhassig , Co Cork That ’ s the great grey slug , Limax maximus , It is found all over the country .
My daughter Orla ( 6 ) spotted this beautiful dragonfly in the garden .
What is it ?
– Gary MacNamara , Rathcoole , Co Dublin It ’ s the female autumn hawker , Aeshna mixta , a relatively newcomer to this country .
The male has blue spots .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company of a common gull .
Can you identify it please ?
– Siobhán O ’ Keeffe , Limekiln , Dublin 12 It ’ s a young ( this year ’ s ) common gull from one of the nests in the city centre .
We regularly hear the gulls squawking in TV interviews outside the Dáil .
In Inch Wildfowl Reserve we saw what looked like two large black swans , one in close with a cygnet .
Are these black swans ?
We also saw an otter eating what looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things other than fish ?
– Dave Hughes , Dangan Park , Dublin 12 There ’ s a black swan reserve at the Inch Wildfowl Reserve in Donegal .
And otters occasionally eat waterfowl such as duck , coot and moorhens .
This guy was dropped by a frightened blue tit in our local park .
It was about 6cm long .
– Paul Kenny , Kimmage , Dublin 12 I ’ m not surprised .
It ’ s the caterpillar of the eyed hawkmoth , which is big .
I saw this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local coffee shop .
Only when I looked carefully could I be sure that it was a moth and not a splinter of wood .
– Oliver Nash , Rathmines , Dublin It ’ s the common grass veneer micro moth .
What it was doing away from a meadow only it knows .
Grass moths are rarely seen unless one is walking through a meadow and disturbs them as they are very well camouflaged .
Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn , Louisburgh , Co Mayo , F28 F978 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Please include a postal address

We saw this slug on our patio. Can you please identify it? – Kayla (12), Zoe (10) Hutchinson, Ballinhassig, Co Cork
That's the great grey slug, Limax maximus, It is found all over the country.
Female autumn hawker dragonfly
My daughter Orla (6) spotted this beautiful dragonfly in the garden. What is it? – Gary MacNamara, Rathcoole, Co Dublin
It's the female autumn hawker, Aeshna mixta, a relatively newcomer to this country. The male has blue spots.
Common gull
I saw this bird on Grafton Street in the company of a common gull. Can you identify it please? – Siobhán O'Keeffe, Limekiln, Dublin 12
It's a young (this year's) common gull from one of the nests in the city centre. We regularly hear the gulls squawking in TV interviews outside the Dáil.
In Inch Wildfowl Reserve we saw what looked like two large black swans, one in close with a cygnet. Are these black swans? We also saw an otter eating what looked like a wildfowl. Do otters eat things other than fish? – Dave Hughes, Dangan Park, Dublin 12
There's a black swan reserve at the Inch Wildfowl Reserve in Donegal. And otters occasionally eat waterfowl such as duck, coot and moorhens.
READ MORE
Caterpillar of the eyed hawkmoth
This guy was dropped by a frightened blue tit in our local park. It was about 6cm long. – Paul Kenny, Kimmage, Dublin 12
I'm not surprised. It's the caterpillar of the eyed hawkmoth, which is big.
Grass veneer micro moth
I saw this little beauty on the window outside my local coffee shop. Only when I looked carefully could I be sure that it was a moth and not a splinter of wood. – Oliver Nash, Rathmines, Dublin
It's the common grass veneer micro moth. What it was doing away from a meadow only it knows. Grass moths are rarely seen unless one is walking through a meadow and disturbs them as they are very well camouflaged.
Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, F28 F978, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Please include a postal address


theirishtimes--2020-09-18--Blanchardstown, Tallaght top table for highest Covid-19 rates

The Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart region of west Dublin has the highest rate of Covid-19 in the State , according to the first national breakdown of incidence of the disease by local area .
Large parts of south Dublin , which went into near-lockdown overnight along with the rest of the county , have lower incidence than many areas not affected by the new restrictions , the analysis shows .
For the first time , data on the real-time incidence of the disease by local electoral area has been published on the Government ’ s online Covid-19 data hub .
The information is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the disease in their area , thereby enabling them to tailor their behaviour appropriately .
Blackrock , with 35 cases per 100,000 people in the past 14 days , has the lowest incidence in Dublin .
This figure is lower than that recorded in 12 other counties across the State unaffected by Dublin-specific restrictions on indoor dining , “ wet pubs ” and movement .
Stillorgan , with an incidence of 39 , and Dún Laoghaire and Killiney-Shankill , both at 55 , have the next-lowest incidences in Dublin .
In contrast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the disease , with an incidence of 189 .
The next-highest figures nationally are in Tallaght central at 175 ; Celbridge , Co Kildare , at 171 ; and Dublin South-West Inner City , at 162 .
Big contrasts within the same city are not confined to Dublin ; in Limerick , the north of the city has an incidence of 127 while in the west it is just 17 .
Virus levels in Cork are comparatively low , with the highest incidence recorded in Fermoy , at 24 ; Cork City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the west of the county at 16 .
Connemara South has the highest rate in Galway at 56 ; with Tuam on 36 ; and Galway City Central at 26 .
The localised information about virus trends is being published on foot of a request by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly .
“ The Minister asked for incidence rates to be published at a more local level .
He wanted people to be able to access more detailed information about this virus and how it is affecting their communities , ” a spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Louth , Leitrim and Waterford also feature as hot-spots for the disease on the map published on the Government ’ s website .
The new data is the result of a collaboration between the Department of Health , the Health Protection Surveillance Centre , the Health Service Executive , Health Intelligence Unit , Central Statistics Office , Ordnance Survey Ireland and Maynooth University .
Covid-19 is spreading most in deprived areas , the figures suggest

Large parts of south Dublin have lower incidence than many areas not affected by the new restrictions. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
The Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart region of west Dublin has the highest rate of Covid-19 in the State, according to the first national breakdown of incidence of the disease by local area.
Large parts of south Dublin, which went into near-lockdown overnight along with the rest of the county, have lower incidence than many areas not affected by the new restrictions, the analysis shows.
For the first time, data on the real-time incidence of the disease by local electoral area has been published on the Government's online Covid-19 data hub. The information is designed to inform people about the spread of the disease in their area, thereby enabling them to tailor their behaviour appropriately.
Blackrock, with 35 cases per 100,000 people in the past 14 days, has the lowest incidence in Dublin. This figure is lower than that recorded in 12 other counties across the State unaffected by Dublin-specific restrictions on indoor dining, "wet pubs" and movement.
READ MORE
Stillorgan, with an incidence of 39, and Dún Laoghaire and Killiney-Shankill, both at 55, have the next-lowest incidences in Dublin.
In contrast, Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart is the national hot spot for the disease, with an incidence of 189. The next-highest figures nationally are in Tallaght central at 175; Celbridge, Co Kildare, at 171; and Dublin South-West Inner City, at 162.
City contrasts
Big contrasts within the same city are not confined to Dublin; in Limerick, the north of the city has an incidence of 127 while in the west it is just 17.
Virus levels in Cork are comparatively low, with the highest incidence recorded in Fermoy, at 24; Cork City South-West at 21; and Skibbereen in the west of the county at 16.
Connemara South has the highest rate in Galway at 56; with Tuam on 36; and Galway City Central at 26.
The localised information about virus trends is being published on foot of a request by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly. “The Minister asked for incidence rates to be published at a more local level. He wanted people to be able to access more detailed information about this virus and how it is affecting their communities,” a spokeswoman said.
Specific local election areas in Louth, Leitrim and Waterford also feature as hot-spots for the disease on the map published on the Government's website.
The new data is the result of a collaboration between the Department of Health, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, the Health Service Executive, Health Intelligence Unit, Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland and Maynooth University.
[ Covid-19 is spreading most in deprived areas, the figures suggest ]


theirishtimes--2020-09-19--Covid-19: Archbishop of Dublin voices worry about parishes trying to ‘get Confirmations done’

Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has said he is worried about parishes possibly taking initiatives to “ get First Communions and Confirmations done ” amid the latest Covid-19 developments in the county , saying he knows “ the pressure that families and schools can bring in parishes ” .
He also criticised what he said were distortions of the Vatican ’ s stance on worshipping during the coronavirus pandemic , and expressed concern that some were underestimating the seriousness of the current public health situation in Dublin , which has seen the return of restrictions for places of worship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region .
These restrictions include the closing of places of worship except for private prayer , and the postponing of First Communion and Confirmation services .
In a statement on Saturday , the archbishop said : “ I am seriously concerned that many people may be underestimating the seriousness of the current situation in Co Dublin and indeed now in other counties .
The spread of the virus has reached serious levels and constitutes a real risk of radically increased infection within the community .
In many cases , the increase in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and communities.
” He said that this increase in numbers in Dublin was behind calls by public health experts for people to reduce their contacts , and this need to reduce contacts was in turn at the root of the latest moves to limit public worship in the capital .
He added that although there was no evidence of the virus being spread in worshipping communities , the measures in Dublin are appropriate at this time .
In Saturday ’ s statement , he also addressed the issue of the “ serious distortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worshipping amid the Covid-19 pandemic .
“ I have seen reports quoting a Vatican document urging a rapid return to normal worship .
Some are using that as an indication that the official line of the Holy See is to object to restrictions .
This is a very serious distortion of what that document says .
“ The document .
.
.
strongly supports the application of restrictive measures and ‘ painful decisions even to the point of suspending the participation of the faithful in the celebration of the Eucharist for a long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Places of worship must remain closed except for private prayer as well as for limited attendance at funerals and weddings.
” On the subject of the celebration of First Communion and Confirmation , he said he understood the disappointment of families who had been ready to undertake these events and now find them postponed .
However , he said he was worried “ about parishes taking initiatives to ‘ get First Communions and Confirmations done ’ .
“ I appreciate the pressure that families and schools can bring in parishes .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Confirmations are sacramental acts and must be celebrated in an appropriate liturgical context and catechetical preparation .
“ The idea that sacramental acts have to be done quickly and can be done outside the normal liturgical situation is false .
There is no urgent need to celebrate these sacraments just because they fit into the school calendar.
” “ Some efforts , often well intentioned , run the risk of reducing the administration of sacramental acts almost to the level of a supermarket in which you can drop in and ‘ get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Eucharist to a commodity , ” he added .
In a message to clergy on Friday , Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin Michael Jackson warned their churches would almost certainly have to close as Dublin moved to Level 3 restrictions under the Government ’ s Living with Covid-19 plan .
He said the prospect was “ both frustrating and frightening ” but added : “ It is important that we face this with resilience and hope .
”

Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has voiced concern that some are underestimating the current public health situation in Dublin. File photograph: Bryan O’Brien/The Irish Times
The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has expressed concern at parishes coming under pressure to rush through First Communion and Confirmation ceremonies.
As well as running the risk of undermining public health measures, he said: “Some efforts, often well intentioned, run the risk of reducing the administration of sacramental acts almost to the level of a supermarket in which you can drop in and ‘get the sacrament done’.
“This would reduce the Eucharist to a commodity.”
Some parents and grandparents have been voicing their displeasure in recent days at the cancellation of First Communion and Confirmation ceremonies because of the Covid-19 restrictions.
READ MORE
In a statement, Archbishop Martin said he understood the disappointment of families who had been ready to undertake these events and now find them postponed.
However, he said he was worried “about parishes taking initiatives to ‘get First Communions and Confirmations done’.
“I appreciate the pressure that families and schools can bring in parishes. We have to remember that First Communions and Confirmations are sacramental acts and must be celebrated in an appropriate liturgical context and catechetical preparation.
“The idea that sacramental acts have to be done quickly and can be done outside the normal liturgical situation is false. There is no urgent need to celebrate these sacraments just because they fit into the school calendar.”
Infection risk
In his statement on Saturday, the archbishop said: “I am seriously concerned that many people may be underestimating the seriousness of the current situation in Co Dublin and indeed now in other counties. The spread of the virus has reached serious levels and constitutes a real risk of radically increased infection within the community.
While there was no evidence of the virus being spread in worshipping communities, the measures in Dublin were appropriate at this time, he said.
He also addressed what he called the "serious distortion" of a Vatican document that addressed worshipping amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I have seen reports quoting a Vatican document urging a rapid return to normal worship. Some are using that as an indication that the official line of the Holy See is to object to restrictions. This is a very serious distortion of what that document says.
“The document . . . strongly supports the application of restrictive measures and ‘painful decisions even to the point of suspending the participation of the faithful in the celebration of the Eucharist for a long period’.”
He said: “Places of worship must remain closed except for private prayer as well as for limited attendance at funerals and weddings.”
The statement comes just days after a Waterford priest criticised the behaviour of some Catholics who were demanding Communion on the tongue despite Covid-19 restrictions.
Fr Liam Power, former communications officer with the diocese of Waterford and Lismore, said such people did not seem to “respect the danger this represented to others” and were a cause of “very serious embarrassment for priests, many of whom are elderly”.
He referred to an incident in a Waterford church recently when there was a “stand-off” between a parishioner and a priest”during a most sacred moment” of Mass.
In a message to clergy on Friday, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin Michael Jackson said the prospect of churches closing under Level 3 restrictions was "both frustrating and frightening" but he added: "It is important that we face this with resilience and hope."
The Islamic Foundation of Ireland mosque on the South Circular Road said it was now was doing Friday prayers live on Facebook when no-one was allowed in the mosque.
Dublin’s small Jewish community said it was hoping there would be some scope this weekend to mark Rosh Hashanah, their new year. The community had been staying in close contact by phone and Zoom.


theirishtimes--2020-09-19--Policing Covid-19: What enforcement powers do gardaí have?

A wide range of enforcement measures are open to the Garda as Dublin now moves to Level 3 restrictions under the Government ’ s Living with Covid-19 plan while the remainder of the country stays on Level 2 .
While enforcement in this regard mostly applies to event organisers and businesses , some of it relates to ordinary citizens , who can face criminal prosecution – with fines and terms of imprisonment as possible sanctions on conviction – for certain breaches .
However , there is ambiguity in relation to certain measures imposed to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the status of “ advice ” and depend largely on public goodwill for adherence .
On Saturday , the Garda said it was scaling up its presence throughout Dublin to ensure compliance with public health measures .
Operation Fanacht will see a high level of visibility of gardaí on foot , in cars and on bikes to promote social distancing and break up any large gatherings in public spaces .
Garda checkpoints will also be established throughout the county .
A Garda spokesman said the force would continue to adopt “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of policing by consent ” .
The number of visitors allowed to a person ’ s home and the number of households those visitors can come from varies from level to level in the Government ’ s five-level Living with Covid-19 plan .
In Dublin , under Level 3 , a maximum of six people from only one household are allowed to visit another home .
The Government is asking people to follow this advice but there is no direct enforcement of it , and no sanction for not adhering to the advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including social gatherings , or parties , at a person ’ s home or at other locations , vary from level to level and depending on the nature of the gathering .
There are no enforcement measures for gatherings at a person ’ s home , though civil-based enforcement , with a financial penalty but no criminal conviction , was being considered by Government .
Anyone organising a gathering away from a home setting that breaches the maximum numbers allowed at such gatherings is subject to enforcement and could be fined up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months on conviction .
It is not an offence to attend such a gathering , but it is an offence to host or organise one .
The number of guests allowed at a wedding ranges from 100 , excluding staff and other essential personnel , at Level 1 to six people at Level 4 or Level 5 .
There is no enforcement of these provisions , meaning they are advisory only , with people being asked to adhere to them .
However , Garda sources said that depending on the scale of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continually facilitated or organised weddings that breached the advice , it was possible a manager or owner of a hotel or other form of venue could be prosecuted for “ organising an event ” .
The same sources said , however , this has not yet been tested .
At Level 1 up to 100 people can attend an indoor event , although this reduces at other levels , with no indoor events permitted at Levels 3 , 4 or 5 .
The numbers permitted at indoor events also change depending on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being held and how large the venue is , with a large number of permutations possible .
These measures for indoor events , where they are still permitted , are enforceable and any “ event ” organisers breaching the limits can be prosecuted and face fines of up to €2,500 and jail for up to six months .
The number of people allowed at sports events varies depending on venue size and whether the event is being held indoors or outdoors , and also varies between the different levels of the Living with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events are advisory only , with no enforcement .
People are being asked to adhere to the restrictions on numbers at sports events , but breaching these restrictions is not an offence and there is no sanction .
For bars and restaurants selling alcohol , a range of restrictions and conditions are in place and most of these are enforceable .
Only pubs selling food can open currently and they must sell customers a meal valued at at least €9 .
Next Monday so-called wet pubs will be allowed to reopen in all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurants selling alcohol are also required to keep customer contact details , in the event contact tracing is needed , and also face a ban on “ drinking up ” time as well as earlier-than-normal closing hours .
Gardaí are inspecting these venues and any breach of the conditions can result in a business being closed immediately for the remainder of that day .
Other closure orders can be applied for by gardaí for venues that do not desist from breaching the rules , and these can range from for three days to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gardaí could also object to the renewal of a liquor licence for such premises .
Businesses such as cafes could also face periods of closure if in breach of coronavirus regulations , such as by failing to keep the contact details of their customers for a period of 28 days .
Even before Dublin was moved to Level 3 people living in the county were being asked not to travel out of the region unless they had to do so for work , education and childcare .
That advice stays the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is confirmed .
People living outside Dublin are being asked not to travel into the county unless they need to do so for essential reasons .
However , these measures are advisory rather than enforceable under law .
People visiting retail outlets where goods are sold , other businesses and some other such venues are required , by law , to wear a face covering unless they are under 13 years or suffer from a physical or mental health issue that means they are unable to wear a face covering .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law , to the point of being charged with a criminal offence and convicted .
The businesses in question include shopping centres , libraries , cinemas and cinema complexes , theatres , concert halls , bingo halls , museums and any place where goods are sold to customers .
Under the Level 3 restrictions in Dublin many of these places will close .
Masks must also be worn by customers of service businesses , including those offering cosmetic nail care or nail styling , hair care or hair styling , or tattoo and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agents and tour operators , laundries and dry cleaners .
Face coverings now must be worn on public transport unless the passenger is under 13 years or has a physical or mental health reason that means they are unable to wear a mask .
If a person is not wearing a mask , they can be asked to alight the bus , train or tram they are on .
If they refuse to do so , gardaí can be called and a criminal process can commence that can result in a criminal conviction @

Gardaí are scaling up their presence in Dublin as it moves to Level 3. File photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins
A wide range of enforcement measures are open to the Garda as Dublin now moves to Level 3 restrictions under the Government’s Living with Covid-19 plan while the remainder of the country stays on Level 2.
While enforcement in this regard mostly applies to event organisers and businesses, some of it relates to ordinary citizens, who can face criminal prosecution – with fines and terms of imprisonment as possible sanctions on conviction – for certain breaches.
However, there is ambiguity in relation to certain measures imposed to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and a number of the Living with Covid-19 regulations have the status of “advice” and depend largely on public goodwill for adherence.
On Saturday, the Garda said it was scaling up its presence throughout Dublin to ensure compliance with public health measures.
READ MORE
Operation Fanacht will see a high level of visibility of gardaí on foot, in cars and on bikes to promote social distancing and break up any large gatherings in public spaces. Garda checkpoints will also be established throughout the county.
A Garda spokesman said the force would continue to adopt “a graduated policing response based on its tradition of policing by consent”.
Visitors to homes
The number of visitors allowed to a person’s home and the number of households those visitors can come from varies from level to level in the Government’s five-level Living with Covid-19 plan.
In Dublin, under Level 3, a maximum of six people from only one household are allowed to visit another home. The Government is asking people to follow this advice but there is no direct enforcement of it, and no sanction for not adhering to the advice.
Gatherings
The numbers permitted at gatherings, including social gatherings, or parties, at a person’s home or at other locations, vary from level to level and depending on the nature of the gathering.
There are no enforcement measures for gatherings at a person’s home, though civil-based enforcement, with a financial penalty but no criminal conviction, was being considered by Government.
Anyone organising a gathering away from a home setting that breaches the maximum numbers allowed at such gatherings is subject to enforcement and could be fined up to €2,500 or jailed for up to six months on conviction. It is not an offence to attend such a gathering, but it is an offence to host or organise one.
Weddings
The number of guests allowed at a wedding ranges from 100, excluding staff and other essential personnel, at Level 1 to six people at Level 4 or Level 5.
There is no enforcement of these provisions, meaning they are advisory only, with people being asked to adhere to them. However, Garda sources said that depending on the scale of a wedding, or if the same people continually facilitated or organised weddings that breached the advice, it was possible a manager or owner of a hotel or other form of venue could be prosecuted for “organising an event”. The same sources said, however, this has not yet been tested.
Indoor events
At Level 1 up to 100 people can attend an indoor event, although this reduces at other levels, with no indoor events permitted at Levels 3, 4 or 5. The numbers permitted at indoor events also change depending on the type of event, where it is being held and how large the venue is, with a large number of permutations possible.
These measures for indoor events, where they are still permitted, are enforceable and any “event” organisers breaching the limits can be prosecuted and face fines of up to €2,500 and jail for up to six months.
Sports fixtures
The number of people allowed at sports events varies depending on venue size and whether the event is being held indoors or outdoors, and also varies between the different levels of the Living with Covid-19 plan.
The restrictions on sports events are advisory only, with no enforcement. People are being asked to adhere to the restrictions on numbers at sports events, but breaching these restrictions is not an offence and there is no sanction.
Bars, restaurants, cafes
For bars and restaurants selling alcohol, a range of restrictions and conditions are in place and most of these are enforceable. Only pubs selling food can open currently and they must sell customers a meal valued at at least €9. Next Monday so-called wet pubs will be allowed to reopen in all counties apart from Dublin.
Bars and restaurants selling alcohol are also required to keep customer contact details, in the event contact tracing is needed, and also face a ban on “drinking up” time as well as earlier-than-normal closing hours.
Gardaí are inspecting these venues and any breach of the conditions can result in a business being closed immediately for the remainder of that day. Other closure orders can be applied for by gardaí for venues that do not desist from breaching the rules, and these can range from for three days to 30 days.
In the longer term, gardaí could also object to the renewal of a liquor licence for such premises.
Businesses such as cafes could also face periods of closure if in breach of coronavirus regulations, such as by failing to keep the contact details of their customers for a period of 28 days.
Domestic travel
Even before Dublin was moved to Level 3 people living in the county were being asked not to travel out of the region unless they had to do so for work, education and childcare. That advice stays the same now that the move to Level 3 is confirmed.
People living outside Dublin are being asked not to travel into the county unless they need to do so for essential reasons. However, these measures are advisory rather than enforceable under law.
Retail and services
People visiting retail outlets where goods are sold, other businesses and some other such venues are required, by law, to wear a face covering unless they are under 13 years or suffer from a physical or mental health issue that means they are unable to wear a face covering. This is a penal provision and is enforceable by law, to the point of being charged with a criminal offence and convicted.
The businesses in question include shopping centres, libraries, cinemas and cinema complexes, theatres, concert halls, bingo halls, museums and any place where goods are sold to customers. Under the Level 3 restrictions in Dublin many of these places will close.
Masks must also be worn by customers of service businesses, including those offering cosmetic nail care or nail styling, hair care or hair styling, or tattoo and piercing services, as well as travel agents and tour operators, laundries and dry cleaners.
Public transport
Face coverings now must be worn on public transport unless the passenger is under 13 years or has a physical or mental health reason that means they are unable to wear a mask. If a person is not wearing a mask, they can be asked to alight the bus, train or tram they are on. If they refuse to do so, gardaí can be called and a criminal process can commence that can result in a criminal conviction.


theirishtimes--2020-09-19--ASTI to ballot for industrial action over Covid-19 safety concerns

The main trade union for secondary school teachers says it will ballot for industrial action over concerns it has over the safety of staff .
The central executive committee of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland ( ASTI ) said in met on Saturday and decided to ballot its members in relation to a number of “ key issues ” which had emerged since schools reopened .
It said ASTI members had serious concerns about the health and safety of school communities .
Issues raised include physical distancing in schools , provision of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing and testing turnaround times , provisions for high risk teachers , and information technology resources for students and teachers to facilitate remote teaching and learning .
“ The fact that high risk teachers have been asked to work in crowded classroom is unacceptable to us as a trade union , ” ASTI president Ann Piggott said in a statement .
“ The safety of students and their teachers must be the priority.
” Ms Piggott said teachers were reporting that new work practices were being implemented without any consultation with school staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time when teachers have demonstrated tremendous commitment to their students and to keeping education going , that schools would introduce work changes which have a further negative impact on teachers ’ working lives .
This smacks of crisis opportunism and can not go unchallenged.
” The ASTI said the ballot would also cover the difficulties faced by returning teachers who were “ being forced to work precarious contacts ” and those enduring unequal pay .
The union has yet to decide whether it will ballot members for strike action .
A spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out at this stage .
Second level schools reopened at the start of September after being closed since mid-March as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic .
On Friday public health doctors who are to the forefront in the fight against Covid-19 said they would ballot for industrial action before Christmas if the Government did not resolve a pay issue .
There are also growing tensions between health service trade unions and the HSE over redeployment and working arrangements .
Last week , health service trade unions told the HSE that an overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the re-deployment of staff as part of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic was “ null and void ” .
Unions said they would engage with health service management about individual or collective re-deployment of members on a case- by- case basis .
“ However , that engagement is conditional on the HSE demonstrating a commitment to appropriate , full , and meaningful engagement and consultation on all matters.
” The letter sent this week shows further strains in the relationship between health service unions and management over what they see as a lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The ASTI said its members had serious concerns about the health and safety of school communities. Photograph: iStock
The main trade union for secondary school teachers says it will ballot for industrial action over concerns it has over the safety of staff.
The central executive committee of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) said in met on Saturday and decided to ballot its members in relation to a number of “key issues” which had emerged since schools reopened.
It said ASTI members had serious concerns about the health and safety of school communities. Issues raised include physical distancing in schools, provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), the definition of close contacts, testing and testing turnaround times, provisions for high risk teachers , and information technology resources for students and teachers to facilitate remote teaching and learning.
“The fact that high risk teachers have been asked to work in crowded classroom is unacceptable to us as a trade union,” ASTI president Ann Piggott said in a statement.
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“The safety of students and their teachers must be the priority.”
Ms Piggott said teachers were reporting that new work practices were being implemented without any consultation with school staff.
“It is unthinkable that at a time when teachers have demonstrated tremendous commitment to their students and to keeping education going, that schools would introduce work changes which have a further negative impact on teachers’ working lives. This smacks of crisis opportunism and cannot go unchallenged.”
The ASTI said the ballot would also cover the difficulties faced by returning teachers who were “being forced to work precarious contacts” and those enduring unequal pay.
The union has yet to decide whether it will ballot members for strike action. A spokeswoman said nothing had been ruled in or out at this stage.
Second level schools reopened at the start of September after being closed since mid-March as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Friday public health doctors who are to the forefront in the fight against Covid-19 said they would ballot for industrial action before Christmas if the Government did not resolve a pay issue .
There are also growing tensions between health service trade unions and the HSE over redeployment and working arrangements.
Last week, health service trade unions told the HSE that an overall agreement reached earlier this year to facilitate the re-deployment of staff as part of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic was “null and void”.
Unions said they would engage with health service management about individual or collective re-deployment of members on a case- by- case basis.
“However, that engagement is conditional on the HSE demonstrating a commitment to appropriate, full, and meaningful engagement and consultation on all matters.”
The letter sent this week shows further strains in the relationship between health service unions and management over what they see as a lack of consultation on a number of issues.


theirishtimes--2020-09-19--Coronavirus: 274 more cases but further spike ‘not inevitable’

There have been no further deaths from Covid-19 in the State but 274 more cases have been confirmed , according to the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) .
It brings to 32,538 the number of confirmed cases and leaves the death toll at 1,792 .
Of the latest cases , 166 are in Dublin , which entered Level 3 controls on Saturday under the Government ’ s five-stage scheme for Covid-19 regulations .
Prof Philip Nolan , chair of the NPHET ’ s epidemiological modelling advisory group , said he did not like the term “ second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent surge in cases as it made the disease seem “ overwhelming ” and the rise seem “ inevitable ” .
“ It ’ s not inevitable .
We ’ re at about 260 cases a day at moment and the reproduction number is between 1.3 and 1.7 , ” he said .
“ If it ’ s 1.3 by October 14th we think there will be 400 cases a day .
At 1.8 we get closer to 1,500 per day .
If we get it below one it will tail away slowly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 150 cases by the 14th of October.
” The reproduction number is the expected number of cases directly generated by one case in a population .
Of the latest cases , 142 are known to be men and 129 women and 65 per cent are under 45 years of age .
Some 52 per cent are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case .
A total of 52 cases have been identified as community transmission .
Outside of Dublin , the next highest number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elsewhere , there were 19 cases in Donegal , 7 in Kildare , 7 in Offaly , 6 in Waterford , 6 in Wicklow , 5 in Louth , 5 in Limerick and 5 in Meath and the remaining 27 cases were located across 12 counties .
Prof Nolan said the ban on indoor dining in Dublin restaurants and bars was justified as cases of the disease were originating in these environments before spreading to people ’ s homes .
While the disease was “ amplifying ” through community transmission in people ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than sufficient evidence ” that Covid-19 was originating in congregated social settings such as bars and restaurants , he told RTÉ ’ s Saturday with Katie Hannon .
Prof Nolan said it was a “ misinterpretation of the numbers ” to say there were lots of cases in family homes but very few cases in other congregated settings .
“ If there ’ s one case in a restaurant that will lead to four or five infections .
That could lead to three or four households and 15 to 20 cases , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international evidence ” that indoor dining and congregation were “ major drivers of community transmission ” , he continued .
Prof Nolan said it was “ with great sadness ” that the committee had recommended the latest restrictions for Dublin but temporary closures were necessary .
While the incidence rate was three times higher in Dublin than in the rest of the country , there is “ no room for complacency ” outside the capital , he said .
“ We ’ re facing into a very worrying scenario ... this virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kills people and we really have to take it seriously over the next three weeks in order to bring case numbers back under control.
” Asked whether some NPHET members had recommended that restrictions for Dublin be raised to level 4 , Prof Nolan said there was absolute consensus that “ the appropriate measure for Dublin was Level 3 ” .
He added that the “ characterisation ” of a discussion within NPHET , referenced in an Irish Times article , was not his experience of how decisions were made .
“ NPHET @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinks the reaction will be , ” he said .
The Irish Times understands that some NPHET members had privately expressed concerns that recommending a higher level of restrictions could cause discord between NPHET and the Government .
Prof Nolan urged Dubliners to adhere to restrictions so restaurants can reopen in October .
“ We ’ ve shown before in March and April we can do it.
” Speaking on the same programme , Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin called on the Government to reinstate weekly meetings between the Taoiseach , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Health , party leaders and health spokespeople to keep all parties abreast of plans for Covid .
Mr Ó Broin also called for an increase in testing and tracing capacity , noting that the Government plan for the next six months had no targets for testing or turnaround time .
Urgent measures were also needed to ensure people on the six month mortgage moratorium did not fall into a second month and go into mortgage distress , he said .
The Government should “ reconsider the issue of temporary bans on rent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , particularly where there ’ s potential for further restrictions as we have now , ” he said .
Minister for Housing Darragh O ’ Brien said the Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure were in “ regular contact ” with banks around mortgage discussions while the Government was adding to housing capacity , including emergency accommodation , as part of its winter plan .
On hospital beds during the winter months , Mr O ’ Brien said the number of critical care beds had doubled since the start of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall also warned of “ problematic ” testing and tracing programmes and said it was not sustainable to keep locking down certain parts of the country every time there was a surge in the virus .
Further detail was needed as to where the virus was being transmitted she said , including data on its spread on public transport , at sports events , in workplaces , bars and restaurants , or through foreign travel .

There have been no further deaths from Covid-19 in the State but 274 more cases have been confirmed, according to the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
It brings to 32,538 the number of confirmed cases and leaves the death toll at 1,792.
Of the latest cases, 166 are in Dublin, which entered Level 3 controls on Saturday under the Government’s five-stage scheme for Covid-19 regulations.
Prof Philip Nolan, chair of the NPHET’s epidemiological modelling advisory group, said he did not like the term “second wave” being used to describe the recent surge in cases as it made the disease seem “overwhelming” and the rise seem “inevitable”.
READ MORE
“It’s not inevitable. We’re at about 260 cases a day at moment and the reproduction number is between 1.3 and 1.7,” he said.
“If it’s 1.3 by October 14th we think there will be 400 cases a day. At 1.8 we get closer to 1,500 per day. If we get it below one it will tail away slowly but we’ll still be seeing about 150 cases by the 14th of October.”
The reproduction number is the expected number of cases directly generated by one case in a population.
Of the latest cases, 142 are known to be men and 129 women and 65 per cent are under 45 years of age.
Some 52 per cent are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case.
A total of 52 cases have been identified as community transmission.
Outside of Dublin, the next highest number of cases was in Cork at 21. Elsewhere, there were 19 cases in Donegal, 7 in Kildare, 7 in Offaly, 6 in Waterford, 6 in Wicklow, 5 in Louth, 5 in Limerick and 5 in Meath and the remaining 27 cases were located across 12 counties.
Restaurant closures
Prof Nolan said the ban on indoor dining in Dublin restaurants and bars was justified as cases of the disease were originating in these environments before spreading to people’s homes.
While the disease was “amplifying” through community transmission in people’s households, there was “more than sufficient evidence” that Covid-19 was originating in congregated social settings such as bars and restaurants, he told RTÉ’s Saturday with Katie Hannon.
Prof Nolan said it was a “misinterpretation of the numbers” to say there were lots of cases in family homes but very few cases in other congregated settings.
“If there’s one case in a restaurant that will lead to four or five infections. That could lead to three or four households and 15 to 20 cases,” he said. There was “compelling international evidence” that indoor dining and congregation were “major drivers of community transmission”, he continued.
Prof Nolan said it was “with great sadness” that the committee had recommended the latest restrictions for Dublin but temporary closures were necessary.
While the incidence rate was three times higher in Dublin than in the rest of the country, there is “no room for complacency” outside the capital, he said. “We’re facing into a very worrying scenario... this virus, quite frankly, spreads quickly. It kills people and we really have to take it seriously over the next three weeks in order to bring case numbers back under control.”
Asked whether some NPHET members had recommended that restrictions for Dublin be raised to level 4, Prof Nolan said there was absolute consensus that “the appropriate measure for Dublin was Level 3”. He added that the “characterisation” of a discussion within NPHET, referenced in an Irish Times article, was not his experience of how decisions were made.
“NPHET gives its advice irrespective of what it thinks the reaction will be,” he said.
The Irish Times understands that some NPHET members had privately expressed concerns that recommending a higher level of restrictions could cause discord between NPHET and the Government.
Prof Nolan urged Dubliners to adhere to restrictions so restaurants can reopen in October. “We’ve shown before in March and April we can do it.”
Mortgage distress
Speaking on the same programme, Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin called on the Government to reinstate weekly meetings between the Taoiseach, the chief medical officer, the Minister for Health, party leaders and health spokespeople to keep all parties abreast of plans for Covid.
Mr Ó Broin also called for an increase in testing and tracing capacity, noting that the Government plan for the next six months had no targets for testing or turnaround time. Urgent measures were also needed to ensure people on the six month mortgage moratorium did not fall into a second month and go into mortgage distress, he said.
The Government should “reconsider the issue of temporary bans on rent increases and evictions and notice to quit, particularly where there’s potential for further restrictions as we have now,” he said.
Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien said the Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure were in "regular contact" with banks around mortgage discussions while the Government was adding to housing capacity, including emergency accommodation, as part of its winter plan.
On hospital beds during the winter months, Mr O’Brien said the number of critical care beds had doubled since the start of the pandemic and additional capacity was available.
Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall also warned of “problematic” testing and tracing programmes and said it was not sustainable to keep locking down certain parts of the country every time there was a surge in the virus.
Further detail was needed as to where the virus was being transmitted she said, including data on its spread on public transport, at sports events, in workplaces, bars and restaurants, or through foreign travel.


theirishtimes--2020-09-19--Explosive device discovered in Galway city

A suspicious object discovered in Galway city on Friday night has been removed for destruction after it was deemed to be a viable explosive device by an Army bomb disposal team .
Gardaí received reports of the item in the Knocknacarra area of Galway city at about 7pm on Friday , September 18th , and called on the Army ’ s bomb disposal team to attend the scene .
A Defence Forces spokesman confirmed that the team arrived at the scene at about 10pm that night and cordoned off the area while the situation was investigated .
The device was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the area , said the spokesman .
It was taken to a Defence Forces location for further examination by the team , who left the scene shortly after 10.35pm .
A Garda spokesman confirmed the device was not located on the grounds of a school or educational premises and was removed for analysis and destruction .
Gardaí did not respond to a request regarding whether the device was an old war munition or a more modern explosive .
Investigations into the discovery are ongoing .
Members of the public are advised to contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or hazardous substance and to maintain a safe distance from such objects .

A suspicious object discovered in Galway city was deemed to be a viable explosive device by an Army bomb disposal team. File photograph: Defence Forces/Facebook
A suspicious object discovered in Galway city on Friday night has been removed for destruction after it was deemed to be a viable explosive device by an Army bomb disposal team.
Gardaí received reports of the item in the Knocknacarra area of Galway city at about 7pm on Friday, September 18th, and called on the Army's bomb disposal team to attend the scene.
A Defence Forces spokesman confirmed that the team arrived at the scene at about 10pm that night and cordoned off the area while the situation was investigated. The device was identified, made safe and removed from the area, said the spokesman. It was taken to a Defence Forces location for further examination by the team, who left the scene shortly after 10.35pm.
A Garda spokesman confirmed the device was not located on the grounds of a school or educational premises and was removed for analysis and destruction. Gardaí did not respond to a request regarding whether the device was an old war munition or a more modern explosive.
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Investigations into the discovery are ongoing.
Members of the public are advised to contact gardaí if they encounter any suspicious item or hazardous substance and to maintain a safe distance from such objects.


theirishtimes--2020-09-19--Male cyclist (40s) killed in north Co Dublin traffic collision

A male cyclist in his 40s has been killed in a traffic collision involving a car in north Co Dublin @ @ @ @ @ incident occurred on the R108 Road , at St Margaret ’ s , near Dublin @ @ @ @ @ at 11.45am .
The cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene .
The male driver @ @ @ @ @ for non-life threatening injuries by ambulance paramedics at the side of the road .
The @ @ @ @ @ as Garda Forensic Collision Investigators examine the scene , with local traffic diversions in place @ @ @ @ @ for “ anyone with information , particularly any road users who may have witnessed the @ @ @ @ @ , ” to contact Dublin Airport Garda Station on 01 666 4950 , the Garda @ @ @ @ @ 111 or any Garda station .

The road has been closed off as Garda Forensic Collision Investigators examine the scene, with local traffic diversions in place. File image: Alan Betson / The Irish Times
A male cyclist in his 40s has been killed in a traffic collision involving a car in north Co Dublin on Saturday afternoon.
The incident occurred on the R108 Road, at St Margaret’s, near Dublin Airport, north Co Dublin at 11.45am.
The cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. The male driver of the car was treated for non-life threatening injuries by ambulance paramedics at the side of the road.
The road has been closed off as Garda Forensic Collision Investigators examine the scene, with local traffic diversions in place.
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A Garda spokesman appealed for “anyone with information, particularly any road users who may have witnessed the collision or have dash-cam footage,” to contact Dublin Airport Garda Station on 01 666 4950, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.


theirishtimes--2020-09-19--New Covid law sets out stricter rules for event organisers in Dublin

The laws governing “ organising events ” in the Republic are now different for Dublin compared to the rest of the Republic .
Under the new regulations , which became law in advance of Dublin moving to Level 3 under the Government ’ s five-stage plan , “ event organisers ” in the capital can be prosecuted if they have more than 100 people at their event .
For the other 25 counties , the threshold for the prosecution of an event organiser is set at 200 people .
It represents the first time since the pandemic began that Dublin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of the country under Covid-19 laws .
The measures , contained in the latest statutory instrument published by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly , came into effect last Wednesday and are intended to remain in place until at least October 5th .
Since publication , Dublin has moved to Level 3 , meaning for the next three weeks no indoor events can take place while outdoor events are capped at 15 people .
While the statutory instrument sets out penalties for event organisers , there are no penalties relating to gatherings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leo Varadkar last month said a new regulation was being formulated providing for a civil process to be taken against those organising parties in their homes but that has not yet come to fruition .
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties ( ICCL ) said it was strongly opposed to any such more .
“ Our firm position is that government should help the public adhere to public health guidance through communication and encouragement , not enforcement , ” ICCL director Liam Herrick said .
There needed to be much more clarity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Government decisions were made , he said , adding there had been “ a worrying level of confusion around what is law and what is advice ” .
This had continued into the last week as the Government launched its new system based on levels of risk , Mr Herrick said .
Some of the new measures that came into effect on Wednesday are penal , meaning they are enforceable under law and can result in convictions and court sanctions ; fines of up to €2,500 and/or imprisonment of up to six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 200 people are now permitted at , non-sporting , “ outdoor events ” in all counties except Dublin .
Anyone organising an event that breaches the 200-person cap is committing a criminal offence and can be prosecuted .
But in Dublin that maximum is set at 100 people , any breach of which means an event organiser is breaking the law and can be prosecuted .
This includes any event held for “ social , recreational , exercise , cultural , entertainment or community reasons ” but excludes weddings and sports events .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attended in 25 counties by up to 200 people as well as additional personnel required for the running of the event , but that was now limited to 100 in Dublin .
However , unlike the cap on non-sporting events , any breaching of maximum numbers at sports events is not a penal provision .
For people who reside in dwellings in 25 counties in the Republic , they may organise an gathering at home for social or recreational purposes if they “ take all reasonable steps ” to ensure the numbers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reside in no more than three dwellings .
Alternative , any number of people can attend once they all reside in no more than one other dwelling .
This measure relating to the 25 counties reflects the Level 2 provisions in the Government ’ s new system for grading the level of Covid19 pandemic risk in different parts of the country .
A new special provision for Dublin is more stringent and reflects the restrictions contained in Level 3 .
People residing in Dublin may organise a gathering in their homes only if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home where the gathering was taking place or in one other household .
The Government is asking people to follow this advice but there is no direct enforcement , and no sanction for not adhering to the advice .

The law applies to events held for ‘social, recreational, exercise, cultural, entertainment or community reasons’ but excludes weddings and sports events. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos
The laws governing “organising events” in the Republic are now different for Dublin compared to the rest of the Republic.
Under the new regulations, which became law in advance of Dublin moving to Level 3 under the Government’s five-stage plan, “event organisers” in the capital can be prosecuted if they have more than 100 people at their event.
For the other 25 counties, the threshold for the prosecution of an event organiser is set at 200 people.
It represents the first time since the pandemic began that Dublin is treated as a separate entity to the rest of the country under Covid-19 laws.
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The measures, contained in the latest statutory instrument published by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, came into effect last Wednesday and are intended to remain in place until at least October 5th.
Since publication, Dublin has moved to Level 3, meaning for the next three weeks no indoor events can take place while outdoor events are capped at 15 people.
While the statutory instrument sets out penalties for event organisers, there are no penalties relating to gatherings in people’s homes.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar last month said a new regulation was being formulated providing for a civil process to be taken against those organising parties in their homes but that has not yet come to fruition. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) said it was strongly opposed to any such more.
“Our firm position is that government should help the public adhere to public health guidance through communication and encouragement, not enforcement,” ICCL director Liam Herrick said.
There needed to be much more clarity and better communication around how public health advice and Government decisions were made, he said, adding there had been “a worrying level of confusion around what is law and what is advice”. This had continued into the last week as the Government launched its new system based on levels of risk, Mr Herrick said.
Some of the new measures that came into effect on Wednesday are penal, meaning they are enforceable under law and can result in convictions and court sanctions; fines of up to €2,500 and/or imprisonment of up to six months.
For example, up to 200 people are now permitted at, non-sporting, “outdoor events” in all counties except Dublin. Anyone organising an event that breaches the 200-person cap is committing a criminal offence and can be prosecuted.
But in Dublin that maximum is set at 100 people, any breach of which means an event organiser is breaking the law and can be prosecuted.
This includes any event held for “social, recreational, exercise, cultural, entertainment or community reasons” but excludes weddings and sports events.
Similarly, outdoor sporting events could be attended in 25 counties by up to 200 people as well as additional personnel required for the running of the event, but that was now limited to 100 in Dublin.
However, unlike the cap on non-sporting events, any breaching of maximum numbers at sports events is not a penal provision.
For people who reside in dwellings in 25 counties in the Republic, they may organise an gathering at home for social or recreational purposes if they “take all reasonable steps” to ensure the numbers in attendance do not exceed six people who reside in no more than three dwellings. Alternative, any number of people can attend once they all reside in no more than one other dwelling.
This measure relating to the 25 counties reflects the Level 2 provisions in the Government’s new system for grading the level of Covid19 pandemic risk in different parts of the country.
A new special provision for Dublin is more stringent and reflects the restrictions contained in Level 3. People residing in Dublin may organise a gathering in their homes only if those in attendance all live in the home where the gathering was taking place or in one other household.
The Government is asking people to follow this advice but there is no direct enforcement, and no sanction for not adhering to the advice.