
Irish fury over asylum crisis: How resentment is boiling over nationwide, with thousands attending latest anti-migrant protests following huge surge in refugees and country's pro-Palestine, anti-Israel stance
Some 3,000 people joined the latter, an anti-immigration rally organised by Ireland Says No - which attendees said signalled a feeling in the country that 'enough is enough'.
Protesters, describing themselves as Irish patriots and nationalists, said they have two main grievances - 'mass migration' and a belief that they have been forgotten by the government.
Footage of the march shows a sea of tricolour flags raised above the crowds, with chants including 'Ireland for the Irish' and 'Whose streets? Our streets!'.
The rally's lead organiser, ultra-nationalist Dublin councillor Malachy Steenson, said that the size of the crowd would instill confidence in people who were concerned about airing their criticisms.
'We don't care what Brussels says,' he told the crowd, 'we are going to take this country and run it for the benefit of its people.'
Speaking before local elections in November, he stated his view on how he felt this could be achieved: 'We need to close the borders and stop any more migrants coming in.'
Recent figures show that Ireland is housing more than 33,000 applicants for what is known as 'international protection', up from 7,244 in 2017.
According to official statistics, the number of Palestinians who applied in 2024 increased by more than 700 per cent from the previous year - when the conflict in Gaza erupted.
The Irish government has been vocal in its support of the Palestinian people, officially recognising the Palestinian state last year and formally intervening in South Africa's International Court of Justice case alleging genocide by Israel in Gaza.
Both decisions drew condemnation from Israel. The Irish government was asked whether its show of support would strengthen Palestinian asylum claims, but refused to comment.
The protests in Cork passed peacefully on Saturday, with police dividing the two marches with a barrier and organisers of each encouraging marchers to behave responsibly.
Speaker Derek Blighe, the former president of the Ireland First party who failed to get elected to the Dail in November, told crowds that young Irish people felt they had no choice but to leave the country.
He accused the government of putting 'diversity and climate and foreigners first' and said that nationalists wanted to give the Irish diaspora 'a homeland to return to'.
As many as 150,000 people moved to Ireland in 2023-24, Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures revealed, the highest number in 17 years. Around 30,000 of these were returning Irish citizens.
In terms of asylum seekers, alongside arrivals from Africa and the Middle East, 100,000 refugees flocked to the country following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Each costs the country nearly £70 a day, according to estimates - a figure that has increased by a third in two years.
Last month, around a thousand people joined a march in County Donegal's Letterkenny, while several hundred organised a counter-protest.
Local independent councillor Seamus Treanor said people living in his ward did not feel safe in their own homes due to heightened levels of anti-social behaviour.
'I want to get one thing straight - the reason we have a housing problem in this county is because our government opened our borders, and invited the whole third world to come in.
'They came in their tens of thousands, and communities like Carrickmacross are suffering the consequences.'
At the end of last year the Irish Refugee Council revealed there were a record 3,001 asylum seekers homeless in Ireland.
Pictures of encampments in Dublin and reports last year that a former paint factory was being turned into accommodation for 550 asylum seekers sparked fury among anti-immigration campaigners.
Gardai clashed with hundreds of people at the former Crown Paints factory in Coolock last July.
A number of fires were started at the site and dramatic photos showed a digger in flames.
The police force charged 15 people in relation to the public order incidents at the north Dublin site.
In November 2023, right wing figures including MMA star Conor McGregor ramped up fury over online misinformation and unsubstantiated rumours that a Algerian migrant had stabbed three children outside a kindergarten in Dublin.
Riots exploded in the city, with a bus and tram torched and property destroyed as around 500 thugs rampaged across the city.
Some of the rioters started a fire on the ground floor of a Holiday Inn Express following rumours that migrants were staying there.
Others reportedly petrol-bombed a nearby refugee centre, with fire crews who responded being 'pelted with projectiles' and beaten with iron rods.
Police officers were also attacked, with around 50 sustaining injuries, while one cab driver was punched and dragged from his taxi.
To date, 85 people have been arrested in connection with the November 2023 riots, with 66 charged.
While anti-immigration protests in Ireland have been peaceful in recent weeks, Dublin saw another wave of violence in February, again seemingly fuelled by anger over migration levels.
Shocking videos showed Dublin descending into chaos - with knife fights on the streets and mass brawls erupting in residential roads.
There were similar scenes of violence in Northern Ireland on Monday night.
Anti-immigration riots erupted in Ballymena after two teenagers of Romanian descent appeared in court accused of attempting to rape a local girl.
Social media footage showed homes in Co Antrim on fire after a masked mob lit curtains after windows and doors of terraced properties in the town were caved in.
Four houses were destroyed after 2,500 people gathered in the Harryville area. Two more properties were also damaged and 15 police officers hospitalised.
Police have said the violence is being investigated as racially-motivated hate attacks.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BreakingNews.ie
22 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
State will oppose applications to bring cases over failure to hold Omagh Bombing inquiry
The State will oppose applications by two Omagh bombing survivors seeking to bring lawsuits aimed at compelling the Irish government to establish a public inquiry into the atrocity, the High Court has heard. Emmet Tunney and Shawneen Conway, both survivors of the 1998 dissident republican bombing, say the Government is obliged to establish a public inquiry in circumstances where state authorities allegedly held 'actionable intelligence' relating to the attack. Advertisement A total of 29 people, including Ms Conway's 18-year-old brother Gareth and a mother pregnant with twins, died when a car bomb planted by the Real IRA exploded in the centre of the Co Tyrone town on August 15th, 1998. The survivors, who are seeking to bring separate but similar cases, both point to a judgment of Northern Ireland's High Court, which found that the British and Irish government bore responsibilities 'arising from the cross-Border nature of the attack and the intelligence failings that preceded it'. 'The High Court in Northern Ireland found that there was a real prospect that fresh investigative measures could yield new and significant information regarding the atrocity, including the possibility of preventing it had certain intelligence been acted upon,' the survivors' court papers state. Their cases state that a public inquiry is required to ensure an effective investigation of the atrocity. Advertisement They allege the State's failure to hold such an inquiry is a breach of their rights under the Constitution and under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). According to their court documents, article two of the ECHR requires an 'effective, independent, prompt, and public' investigation in circumstances where state agents knew or ought to have known of a real and immediate risk to life. Articles 40 and 41 of the Constitution require effective investigations of deaths involving potential state failures, their papers say. An independent inquiry into the bombing established by the UK government opened in Omagh in January and is continuing. That inquiry is examining whether the atrocity could have been prevented by UK authorities. Advertisement Ms Conway and Mr Tunney say the Irish government should hold a parallel inquiry. In the High Court this week, Stephen Toal KC, for the survivors with Ruaidhrí Giblin BL and Karl McGuckin BL, moved an application seeking permission to bring the proceedings against the Government, Ireland and the Attorney General. Mr Toal said the State had indicated it would be opposing their application seeking permission to bring the proceedings. Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty said she would hear Mr Toal's applications for permission to bring the proceedings in early November. The judge said the State should be put on notice of the applications. Both survivors are seeking various orders, including one compelling the Government to establish a public inquiry into the bombing, and a court declaration that the Government's failure to establish such an inquiry to date is in breach of their rights. Mr Tunney, of Omagh, Co Tyrone, is represented in the action by Strabane-based firm Roche McBride Solicitors. Ms Conway, from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, is represented by Pa Duffy Solicitors in Dungannon.


BreakingNews.ie
23 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
UK minister accuses Farage of being on side of ‘pornographers' in online safety row
A row has broken out between Labour and Reform after the British technological secretary accused Nigel Farage of being on the side of 'extreme pornographers' and 'Jimmy Savile' over his party's pledge to scrap the UK Online Safety Act. Mr Farage labelled the comments 'disgusting' and called on Peter Kyle to apologise, after the Cabinet minister said the Reform leader is 'on the side of turning the clock back' to when 'strangers can get in touch via messaging apps with children'. Advertisement Former Reform chairman Zia Yusuf claimed the remarks are 'one of the most outrageous and disgusting things a politician has said in the political arena'. Peter Kyle's comments on @SkyNews are disgusting. He should do the right thing and apologise. — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 29, 2025 Under rules that came into effect on July 25th, online platforms such as social media sites and search engines must take steps to prevent children accessing harmful content such as pornography or material that encourages suicide. Mr Yusuf said on Monday that the party would repeal the legislation if they got into government, claiming it works to 'suppress freedom of speech' and 'force social media companies to censor anti-government speech'. Speaking to Sky News on Tuesday, Mr Kyle said that children have been living in a 'wild west' and labelled the new law 'a big step forward'. Advertisement He added: 'I see that Nigel Farage is already saying that he's going to overturn these laws. So you know, we have people out there who are extreme pornographers, peddling hate, peddling violence. Nigel Farage is on their side. 'Make no mistake about it, if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today, he'd be perpetrating his crimes online. And Nigel Farage is saying that he's on their side.' If you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. It is as simple as that. — Peter Kyle (@peterkyle) July 29, 2025 Asked to clarify his comments, Mr Kyle said: 'Nigel Farage is on the side of turning the clock back to the time when strange adults, strangers can get in touch via messaging apps with children.' Mr Farage reacted on X by calling Mr Kyle's remarks 'disgusting' and said 'he should do the right thing and apologise'. Advertisement Mr Kyle then doubled down on his comments in response, and said that 'if you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. It is as simple as that.' Mr Yusuf claimed that Mr Kyle's remarks showed 'how deeply unserious' the UK government was about child safety, adding: 'Talking about Jimmy Savile in that way does nothing other than denigrate the victims of Jimmy Savile.' He told Sky News that the comments are 'one of the most outrageous and disgusting things a politician has said in the political arena that I can remember. And that's quite a high bar, frankly.' Sir Keir Starmer jumped to defend the legislation from its critics when he met Donald Trump on Monday, telling reporters 'We're not censoring anyone'. Advertisement 'We've got some measures which are there to protect children, in particular, from sites like suicide sites.' He added: 'I personally feel very strongly that we should protect our young teenagers, and that's what it usually is, from things like suicide sites. I don't see that as a free speech issue, I see that as child protection.'


Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Vauxhall owner warns of €1.5bn tariff hit days after EU-US deal
The owner of Vauxhall has warned it is facing a €1.5bn (£1.3bn) bill for US tariffs just days after the European Union struck a trade deal with Donald Trump. Stellantis said on Tuesday it had already incurred tariff-related costs of €300m for April to June, although it warned these would rise by a further €1.2bn for the final six months of this year. The prediction assumes there is no change to tariffs currently being levied on cars shipped from Europe to the US, which have been in place since April. It reflects the uncertainty still surrounding Sunday's US-EU deal, and the staggering costs European companies face if the agreement is not finalised in the coming weeks and months. Stellantis reported a 23pc drop in shipments to North America in the first half of 2025 alone, prompting a 4.6pc fall in the company's share price in early trading. The tariffs have made European cars more expensive for consumers while denting profitability for manufacturers. The deal struck by Brussels and President Trump would cut the levies from 27.5pc to 15pc. That is up from 2.5pc before President Trump first launched his trade dispute, but still a significant reduction on current levels. 'Significant damage' However, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, is facing a backlash from member states over the deal – which France and other critics have claimed is a humiliation for the Continent. François Bayrou, the French prime minister, said the agreement marked a 'dark day' for the 'free peoples' of Europe, while Hungarian PM Viktor Orban complained Ms von der Leyen had been 'eaten for breakfast' by Mr Trump. Even Germany, which reluctantly supported the agreement, said it would still suffer 'significant damage' under the pact. It suggests that winning approval for the deal from member states will be a tricky process in the coming weeks. Another point of anger for European leaders is the improved terms secured by Britain, which negotiated a 10pc tariff with the president. That is also up from 2.5pc before the dispute. On Tuesday, Stellantis said it remained 'highly engaged with relevant policymakers, while continuing long-term scenario planning'. Exactly how much Stellantis itself would benefit from any deal remains uncertain. Analysts at Morningstar on Monday suggested the company shipped fewer cars from Europe to the US than rivals, choosing instead to assemble more cars in Mexico and Canada. As a result, Stellantis was likely to see no 'meaningful upside'. Instead, they argued Porsche, Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen – in that order – would be 'the most significant beneficiaries of this trade deal'.