Irish Freedom Party

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Irish Freedom Party
Cumann na Saoirse[1][2]
PresidentHermann Kelly[3]
ChairpersonMichael Leahy[4]
Founded8 September 2018
IdeologyDirect democracy[5]
Hard Euroscepticism[6]
Political positionRight-wing[7] to far-right[8]
Colours  Green,   white and   orange
AddressKandoy House,
Fairview Strand,
Dublin 3
Website
irishfreedom.ie
  • Politics of Republic of Ireland
  • Political parties
  • Elections

The Irish Freedom Party is a minor alt-right,[7] far-right[7][8] hard Eurosceptic[6] political party in Ireland, launched on 8 September 2018.[9] It advocates Irish withdrawal from the European Union.

The party president is Hermann Kelly, a former teacher and journalist, who was the Director of Communications for Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD).[3] The party chairperson is architect Michael Leahy, who replaced Dolores Cahill in March 2021, after Cahill was condemned for making "unsubstantiated claims" and spreading COVID-19 misinformation.[4][10][11] The party has no representation at local or national level.

History[]

Formation[]

On 3 February 2018 an 'Irexit' conference was held in the RDS in Dublin, advocating an Irish withdrawal from the European Union. It was attended by former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, author and columnist John Waters and academics Anthony Coughlan and Karen Devine.[12] On 8 September 2018, a conference was held in the Bonnington Hotel in Dublin to launch the new party. Independent guest speakers at the launch included former Ambassador of Ireland to Canada Ray Bassett[13] and Professor Ray Kinsella, a UCD economist.[14] Approximately 400 people attended the event.[15]

In early March 2019, a number of regional newspapers reported that a party-member named 'Mairead Donovan' was listed on the organisation's website, and would be running as a candidate for local elections for Kerry County Council.[16] The Ireland edition of The Times later reported that the candidate did not exist, and that the website image was a stock photograph.[17] In responding to these reports, party spokesperson Hermann Kelly acknowledged the mistake and fault in allowing the placeholder profile and stock imagery to be published on the website,[17] and clarified that the group was not planning to run any candidates in local elections.[18]

In late March 2019, the organisation launched a nationwide billboard campaign ahead of the European elections, reportedly funded by members of the party.[19] Sources from the Irish advertising industry estimated that this may have cost up to €40,000. The party did not answer questions from The Irish Times about whether the donations received are in line with Standards in Public Office (SIPO) Commission guidelines. Under those guidelines, a third party must register with the Commission if a donation exceeding €100 is accepted which is directed towards a political purpose. The party had not registered as a third party with SIPO.[20]

Following its launch, the party held several regional public meetings,[21][22] including one in Raheen, County Limerick during which broadcaster George Hook spoke about the "politically correct" Irish media.[23]

Elections[]

In advance of the European Parliament election, the party reportedly "botched their [party registration] application" by failing to "tick its own box". Hermann Kelly admitted their application was rejected because of a mistake made by the party and that it would need to resubmit the form.[24][25] As a result, it was not registered as a political party before the deadline for nominations in the 2019 European elections (15 April 2019), and so candidates it had planned to put forward under the Irish Freedom Party name had to list themselves as independents. Hermann Kelly ran in the Dublin constituency, while party chairperson Dolores Cahill ran in the South constituency.[26][27] Neither candidate was elected, with party leader Herman Kelly receiving 2,441 (0.67%) first preference votes,[28] and Cahill receiving 10,582 (1.47%) first preference votes.[29] The party's registration was subsequently completed, and the Irish Freedom Party (IFP) was included on the Register of Political Parties as of 13 June 2019.[30]

The Irish Freedom Party contested its first election as a registered political party in the 2019 Wexford by-election, running Melissa O'Neill, a former member of Sinn Féin who served on Kilkenny County Council from 2014 to 2019. She received 489 (1.2%) first preference votes and was eliminated on the first count.[31][32][33]

Party member Conor Rafferty ran in Mid Ulster in the 2019 UK General Election, as an independent since the party is unregistered in Northern Ireland, gaining 690 votes (1.5%).[34]

The party fielded 11 candidates in the 2020 Irish general election, with none being elected,[35][36] and candidates achieving a share of first preference votes between 0.19% (119 votes) and 2.06% (956 votes) in their respective constituencies.[37][38] Party chairperson Dolores Cahill came second-last in the Tipperary constituency with 0.6% of first preference votes (521 votes).[39]

Cahill also stood unsuccessfully, as an independent, in the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election, receiving 0.6% of first preference votes (169 votes).[40]

Position regarding vaccines and lockdown[]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a number of representatives of the Irish Freedom Party spoke at an anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown rally.[41][42] The protest rally, held in Dublin and attended by Ben Gilroy and Dolores Cahill, was linked to far-right groups by several media outlets.[43][44] Cahill, who was then a non-lecturing professor of translational medicine at University College Dublin,[4][45] also spoke at an anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown event in London,[46] which later lead to a warrant for her arrest in the UK.[47] In a video, published in May 2020 but later removed by YouTube, she claimed that COVID-19 could be cured or curtailed by "eating healthily and taking vitamins C and D",[48][49] that there was "no need for a vaccine" because people who recover have life-long immunity, and advocated using hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin as COVID-19 treatments.[48][49][50] The party "agreed to accept [Cahill's] resignation" several days after it sent a letter to Cahill about her unsubstantiated statements,[47] including those made at an anti-lockdown rally about "children who wore face masks [..] being starved of oxygen and would have lower IQ" and "globalists [..] pulling down the masks [because] oxygen-deprived people are easier to manipulate".[4][11] Cahill's replacement, Michael Leahy, stated that Cahill "was making certain pronouncements that we felt we couldn't stand over and [..] it resulted in her resignation".[10]

Ideology[]

Aside from advocating an exit from the EU, the party states that it is a "patriotic party" which is "pro-natalist and supportive of stable families for procreation".[9]

The party has published policies in favour of reduced government spending, lower tax, freedom of speech and association, and in opposition to the carbon tax.[51] It advocates independence from "either London or Brussels", desiring to leave the EU and to re-unify Ireland by consent.[52] It advocates "zero tolerance" of corruption and the "separation of powers" in the state.[53]

Some commentators have linked party leader Hermann Kelly with alt-right ideologies, pointing to a recorded discussion which Kelly had in 2018 with far-right activist and former British National Party member Jim Dowson.[7][54][55] In the video Kelly said "The first thing they want to do is kill Irish kids and [they] want to replace them with every nationality who wants to come into our country", a statement which several news outlets associated with the great replacement conspiracy theory.[55] In 2019, Kelly stated that "those talking about a Great Replacement in Ireland have a point",[56] and in an interview with LifeSiteNews, referred to what he called the "great replacement of our children".[57] Kelly later stated that he believes in "one human race" and has not supported "theories of racial superiority".[58]

Election results[]

Dáil Éireann[]

Election Seats won ± Position First Pref votes % Government Leader
2020
0 / 160
 Steady 10th 5,495 0.3 No seats Hermann Kelly

References[]

  1. ^ "Election 2020 : Irish Freedom Party Finalize 11 Candidates for General Election". thetricolour com.
  2. ^ "Merchandise | The Irish Freedom Party". 1 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b "About Us". Irexit Freedom to Prosper. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d "UCD academic Dolores Cahill resigns as chair of Irish Freedom Party". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  5. ^ "Abhaile". Irexit Freedom to Prosper. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  6. ^ a b McGee, Harry (2 September 2018). "Political party seeking Irish EU exit to be launched". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d "Ireland's Alt Right: The people building an empire online". The Business Post. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  8. ^ a b Feeney, Peter (13 October 2021). "445/2020 - Mr Hermann Kelly and TheJournal.ie". presscouncil.ie. Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman. Retrieved 1 November 2021. The use of the epithet "far-right" [..] seems acceptable given the range of policies promoted by the party and by the causes party members have been associated with
  9. ^ a b Tobin, Sharon (8 September 2018). "'Irexit' group seeking to register as political party". RTÉ News. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  10. ^ a b "'I was the obvious choice' – Corofin's Leahy becomes Chair of the Irish Freedom Party". clareecho.ie. Clare Echo. 27 March 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021. Leahy outlined that there had been "differences" between Cahill and party members [..] "Professor Cahill [..] was concentrating very much on the issues of vaccination [..] she was making certain pronouncements that we felt we couldn't stand over and for that reason we were trying to resolve those issues and it resulted in her resignation"
  11. ^ a b "Freedom Party chair Dolores Cahill asked to resign after controversial Covid claims". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 6 June 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  12. ^ Carswell, Simon (3 February 2018). "Irexit conference: 'I am hoping something comes of this'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  13. ^ McGreevy, Ronan (8 September 2018). "Irexit party founder says 'dung' from EU 'will help us grow'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  14. ^ Holland, Kitty (8 September 2018). "Irexit Freedom to Prosper to field candidates in European elections". The Irish Times. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  15. ^ Byrne, Luke (9 September 2018). "Sunday Mirror Irexit Party launch". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  16. ^ "Irexit Freedom announces Mairead Donovan as candidate for Killarney". killarneyadvertiser.ie. Killarney Advertiser. 12 March 2019. Archived from the original on 12 March 2019.
  17. ^ a b "Irexit Group Accused Of Inventing Election Candidate". todayfm.com. Today FM. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  18. ^ "'Irexit' deny sending out fake election candidate to local papers". buzz.ie. Independent Star Limited. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  19. ^ "Irexit party launches billboard campaign across Ireland". Irish Examiner. Press Association. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  20. ^ Bray, Jennifer (31 March 2019). "Anti-EU party spends €40,000 on billboard campaign, sources estimate". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  21. ^ "Irexit Athlone Conference". Irexit Freedom to Prosper. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  22. ^ Dennehy, Fergus (9 March 2019). "'Irexit' gathering momentum claim meeting organisers". Irish Independent. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  23. ^ Casey, Jesse (21 March 2019). "Former Newstalk presenter George Hook to front anti-EU event in Limerick". Limerick Leader. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  24. ^ @AarRogan (2 April 2019). "Irexit botched their application to register as a party ahead of the European elections, because they didn't tick a box on the form. Are resubmitting today and hoping it is processed asap "as we have deadlines to meet"" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  25. ^ Rogan, Aaron (2 April 2019). "'Irexit' party fails to tick its own box in road to European elections". The Times Ireland edition.
  26. ^ "Candidates for European Election". Cork City Returning Officer. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  27. ^ "Candidates for European Election". Dublin County Returning Officer. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  28. ^ "European Election: 24 May 2019, Dublin, European Parliament". electionsireland.org. Elections Ireland. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  29. ^ "European Election: 24 May 2019, South, European Parliament". electionsireland.org. Elections Irelands. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  30. ^ "Register of Political Parties 13 June 2019" (PDF). oireachtas.ie. Oireachtas Service. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  31. ^ "Notice of Poll - November 2019". wexfordreturningofficer.com. Wexford Returning Officer. 16 November 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  32. ^ Harrison, Shane (9 November 2017). "'Bullying culture' claims hound Sinn Féin". BBC News. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  33. ^ "Live results from the 2019 By Elections". rte.ie. RTÉ News. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  34. ^ "Mid Ulster Comfortable win for Sinn Fein". irishnews.com. 13 December 2019.
  35. ^ "General Election 2020 - Irish Freedom Party". thejournal.ie. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 10 February 2020.
  36. ^ "Candidates by Party - 2020 General Election - 8 February 2020 - Irish Freedom Party". electionsireland.org. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  37. ^ "Election 2020 - Results - Dún Laoghaire". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 10 February 2020.
  38. ^ O’Keeffe, Cormac (31 December 2021). "State warned it must tackle far-right 'threat'". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 31 December 2021. These parties included candidates from the National Party and the Irish Freedom Party [..] receiving no more than 2% in any of the constituencies
  39. ^ "Election 2020 - Results - Tipperary". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 10 February 2020.
  40. ^ "Byelection: Dublin Bay South - Results". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  41. ^ "Four men arrested at anti-lockdown and anti-mask protest in Dublin". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 23 August 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  42. ^ "Four men are arrested after scuffles break out at an anti-mask protest at Dublin's Custom House". thetimes.co.uk. The Times. 23 August 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  43. ^ "Anti-mask, anti-lockdown protest planned for Dublin on Saturday". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  44. ^ "Four Arrested at Anti-Mask Protest". fm104.ie. FM104. 22 August 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020. The Custom House Quay protest, organised by Health Freedom Ireland, has connections to far-right groups [..] with speakers from the Irish Freedom Party in attendance
  45. ^ "UCD professor Dolores Cahill moved from lecturer role". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  46. ^ "32 arrested at anti-lockdown protest in London". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 19 September 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  47. ^ a b "UK arrest warrant issued for Irish anti-vaccine campaigner Dolores Cahill". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 18 August 2021.
  48. ^ a b "The Infodemic". thejournal.ie. Journal Media Ltd. 19 September 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  49. ^ a b "Ireland's Plandemic: How a YouTube video about coronavirus racked up almost one million views before it was taken down". thejournal.ie. Journal Media Ltd. 15 August 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  50. ^ Coulter, Martin (19 May 2020). "Facebook and YouTube took 7 days to remove an hour-long viral video filled with COVID-19 conspiracies". Business Insider. Retrieved 17 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  51. ^ "Policies". irishfreedom.ie. Irish Freedom Party. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  52. ^ "Irish Freedom Party - Principles". irishfreedom.ie. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  53. ^ "Irish Freedom Party - Tackling Corruption". irishfreedom.ie. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  54. ^ "Dowson- Kelly interview". youtube.com. 29 December 2018.
  55. ^ a b "How the far-right is exploiting immigration concerns in Oughterard". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 16 October 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019. "The first thing they want to do is kill Irish kids and [they] want to replace them with every nationality who wants to come into our country," Irish Freedom Party leader Hermann Kelly [..said..] in an interview this year
  56. ^ @hermannkelly (2 September 2019). "What a cheek! Not a word about incentivising talented and skilled Irish diaspora to come home. According to this, looks as if those talking about a Great Replacement in Ireland have a point. Who is doing the discrimination now?" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  57. ^ "Abortion is 'stain' that 'should be removed' – Hermann Kelly". irexitfreedom.ie. Retrieved 4 November 2019. Party media release referring earlier interview in which Kelly states "we must control the quality and number of economic migrants [..] we don't want the brutal demise or 'great replacement' of our children"
  58. ^ "Twitter (@hermannkelly)". twitter.com. 29 July 2020. No I had a recorded discussion with Jim Dowson after he made a video condemning potential sectarianism re Roscommon evictions. I discuss and debate things with people all the time. There is only 1 human race and I've never plugged theories of racial superiority. #irishfreedom

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