Identity Ireland

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Identity Ireland
Aitheantas Éire
LeaderPeter O'Loughlin
Founded22 July 2015
IdeologyAnti-immigration[1][2]
Anti-Islam
Identitarianism
Irish nationalism
Right-wing populism
Hard Euroscepticism
Political positionRight-wing[3] to far-right[4][1][5]
ColoursBlue
Address27 Pembroke Street Upper, Dublin 2
Website
identityireland.org

Identity Ireland (Irish: Aitheantas Éire[6]) is a minor political party in Ireland.[7] A right-wing to far-right party, it has no representation at local or national level. It was launched in Dublin on 22 July 2015. Its founders are Gary Allen, Peter O'Loughlin and Alan Tighe.[8] O'Loughlin, the party's national spokesperson,[9] contested the 2016 Irish general election and 2019 European Parliament election.

Policy[]

Identity Ireland states that it favours Irish sovereignty by leaving the European Union and a return to the Irish pound.[10] The party supports a controlled border policy in order to curtail the immigration that, it says, is putting strain on the Irish welfare system.[11] It also supports more careful vetting of incoming asylum seekers.[11] It supports the Irish branch of Pegida, and has joined the Fortress Europe coalition.[12] It advocates the introduction of a two strike law for serious offences, as well as the re-introduction of penal labour.[13] It supports keeping Ireland's neutrality.[14] It is in favour of Brexit.[15]

Elections[]

Before founding Identity Ireland, Peter O'Loughlin unsuccessfully contested the 2014 European Parliament election for the South constituency, with 1.0% of the first preference votes.[16] He also unsuccessfully contested the 2015 Carlow-Kilkenny by-election, receiving 1.4% (930) of the first preference votes.[17][18][19][20]

O'Loughlin also ran in the 2016 Irish general election in the Cork North-Central constituency as an independent, where he came last with only 0.36% (183) of first preference votes.[21][22][23] O'Loughlin later contested the 2019 European Parliament election in Ireland,[24] receiving 0.5% (3,682) of first preference votes in the Ireland South constituency.[25]

Another party member, Ted Neville, was unsuccessful as an independent candidate in four previous elections in the Cork South-Central constituency.[26] He has appeared on television to discuss immigration, both as a member of Identity Ireland and as a member of the Immigration Control Platform group.[27][28]

Status[]

As of 14 May 2018, Identity Ireland was recorded in the Oireachtas Register of Political Parties,[29][1] though as an organisation that had "not yet responded to commission's enquiries" by the Standards in Public Office Commission.[30]

In November 2017, the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) stated that no statements of accounts had been received from Identity Ireland, in breach of the Electoral Act.[31]

In November 2020, SIPO announced that Identity Ireland were one of five political parties who failed to provide them with a set of audited accounts for 2019, in breach of statutory obligations.[32]

Reception[]

Identity Ireland has been accused of being racist. Some of its press conferences and meetings, and its launch, have been disrupted by protesters.[33][34]

However, the party claims that after its launch, membership went up by 25%, and that before the launch it had 115 members.[10] Party leader Peter O'Loughlin was invited to speak at the first Pegida rally of 2016 in Dresden, Germany.[35] In January 2016, the party was criticized for suggesting a local Muslim community leader be thrown into the Irish Sea. A spokesperson for Identity Ireland subsequently stated that it did not intend to advocate violence, and that the phrase "f@ck him into the Irish sea" was intended as a euphemism.[36]

Election results[]

European Parliament[]

Election year # of total votes % of overall vote # of seats won
2019 3,685 0.2%
0 / 12

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Dublin hotel cancels launch of new extreme right-wing party which had been planned for tomorrow". TheJournal.ie. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  2. ^ Moloney, Mark (7 March 2016). "Far Right tries to capitalise on immigration fears". An Phoblacht. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  3. ^ Ryan, Philip (22 July 2015). "Launch of controversial right wing political party descends into chaos in Dublin". Irish Independent. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  4. ^ Murphy, Glen (12 July 2016). "Do You Know Your Far-Right Parties?". Hot Press. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  5. ^ "Why the far right brurns bright elsewhere, fizzles in Ireland". Dublin Inquirer. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  6. ^ "Aguisín 1 Páirtithe Polaitíochta Cláraithe". sipo.gov.ie. Archived from the original on 8 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Register of Political Parties" (PDF). data.oireachtas.ie. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2018.
  8. ^ identity ireland is launched in Dublin, July 2015. 28 July 2015 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ Identity Ireland. 24 October 2015 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b "Identity Ireland sees 25% increase in membership since yesterday". newstalk.com.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Catherine Healy. "These men tried to launch a new party … but anti-racism protesters gate-crashed their event". TheJournal.ie.
  12. ^ Roche, Barry (30 January 2016). "Anti-Islamic group Pegida Ireland to be launched at Dublin rally". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  13. ^ "Law and Order". Identity Ireland. Archived from the original on 20 May 2015. Prisoners work while incarcerated
  14. ^ "Identity Ireland's Photos - Identity Ireland | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  15. ^ "Identity Ireland". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  16. ^ "European Election:23 May 2014 South European Parliament". electionsIreland.org.
  17. ^ "The New Vision of Peter O'Loughlin and Identity Ireland". kilkennyjournal.ie. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  18. ^ "By-Election: Carlow–Kilkenny". RTÉ. 23 May 2015.
  19. ^ Moloney, Mark (1 June 2015). "Sinn Féin big winners in Carlow/Kilkenny by-election". An Phoblacht.
  20. ^ Ó Cionnaith, Fiachra (23 May 2015). "FF look set for by-election win after Aylward pulls ahead to 28%". Irish Examiner.
  21. ^ ""RTÉ General Election 2016 - Peter O'Loughlin"". RTÉ. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  22. ^ "ElectionsIreland.org: 32nd Dáil - Cork North Central First Preference Votes". www.electionsireland.org. ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  23. ^ "Cork North-Central". RTÉ. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016.
  24. ^ "Total of 59 candidates declare for European Parliament elections". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  25. ^ "Elections 2019 Constituency: Ireland South". elections.independent.ie. Independent News & Media. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019.
  26. ^ "ElectionsIreland.org: Ted Neville". ElectionsIreland.org.
  27. ^ Ted Neville of Identity Ireland discusses immigration on the Late Review. TV3 (Ireland). 30 July 2015 – via YouTube.
  28. ^ "Ted Neville - Immigration Control Platform -Cork South Central". ImmigrationControl.org. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  29. ^ "Register of Political Parties" (PDF). Office of the Registrar of Political Parties. Oireachtas.ie. 14 May 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 May 2018.
  30. ^ "Register of Third Parties". Standards in Public Office Commission. Archived from the original on 17 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  31. ^ Burke, Ceimin (29 November 2017). "Nearly half of Ireland's political parties failed to submit accounts to watchdog". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  32. ^ McDermott, Stephen (26 November 2020). "SIPO 'very concerned' about failure of Aontú and Renua to submit statements of their annual accounts". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  33. ^ Duffy, Rónán (15 March 2015). "Gardaí probe assault at meeting of party that wants "proper border control"". TheJournal.ie.
  34. ^ Ryan, Philip (22 June 2015). "Launch of controversial right wing political party descends into chaos in Dublin". Irish Independent.
  35. ^ "Head of controversial Irish group addresses far-right rally in Germany". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  36. ^ Leogue, Joe (20 January 2016). "Political group Identity Ireland clarifies comments about senior Islamic figure". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 24 December 2016.

External links[]

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