Irish Freedom Party
Cumann na Saoirse[1][2]
PresidentHermann Kelly[3]
ChairpersonMichael Leahy[4][5][6]
Founded8 September 2018
IdeologyDirect democracy[7]
Hard Euroscepticism[8]
Political positionFar-right[9][10]
Colours  Green,   white and   orange
Postal address13 Baggot Street Upper, Dublin 4[11]
Website
irishfreedom.ie

The Irish Freedom Party sometimes referred to as IFP and initially known as the Irexit Freedom To Prosper Party,[12] is a minor far-right,[13] hard Eurosceptic[8] political party in Ireland, launched on 8 September 2018.[9][14] It advocates Irish withdrawal from the European Union.

The party president is Hermann Kelly, former Director of Communications for Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD).[3] The party chairperson is architect Michael Leahy. The party has no representation at local or national level.

History

Formation

On 3 February 2018 an 'Irexit' conference was held in the Royal Dublin Society 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.[15] Approximately 600 people attended.[16]

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,[12] and Professor Ray Kinsella, a University College Dublin economist.[17] Approximately 400 people attended the event.[18]

Following its launch, the party held several regional public meetings,[19][20] including one in Raheen, County Limerick during which broadcaster George Hook spoke about the "politically correct" Irish media.[21] A hotel in Tralee which received multiple critical phone calls for hosting an Irish Freedom Party meeting, gave a statement to the Irish Independent affirming their commitment to hosting the meeting, saying “If it was a racist group or something that was socially unacceptable then we wouldn’t be hosting it.”[22]

George Hook addresses Irish Freedom Party Meeting

In late March 2019, the organisation launched a nationwide billboard campaign ahead of the European elections, reportedly funded by members of the party.[23] 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.[24]

Public demonstrations

The Irish Freedom Party has organised and participated in a number of public demonstrations since its formation. Supporters of the group were reported to have used 4chan to organise a rally in protest of Ireland's acceptance of the UN Migration Pact, outside Leinster House in December 2018. The rally was noted for drawing a counter-demonstration organised by People Before Profit, and attended by its party leader Richard Boyd Barrett. Garda estimated attendance at 250.[25]

In October 2019, it was reported that leaders of the IFP, along with other groups were assisting in the organisation of protests in Oughterard Galway against the founding a direct provision centre.[26] Up to 2,000 were estimated to have marched in the protest.[27] A similar smaller protest in Monaghan Ireland was said to have been "endorsed by Irish Freedom Party Leaders".[28]

In late 2019, the Irish Freedom Party, along with Renua Ireland and Yellow Vest Ireland organised two "free speech rallies", again outside Leinster House, in protest of proposed legislation by then Justice Minister Charles Flanagan to update laws regarding hate speech. The former taking place in November, included speakers such as Ben Gilroy, columnist Ian O'Doherty and Dolores Cahill.[29] The latter of the two rallies in December saw a sizeable counter demonstration from a collection of trade unions, faith groups and anti-racism organisations. Several hundred were estimated to have attended both the rally and counterdemonstration, with three arrests being made following scuffles between the two sides.[30]

In February 2020, members of Irish Freedom Party attended another "free speech" rally. This rally drew an estimated crowd size of 100 before being broken up by Gardaí due to violent clashes with counter-protestors, resulting in three more arrests. Party president Hermann Kelly claimed none of the members of the “free speech” protest were involved in violence.[31]

In July 2020, IFP along with Renua Ireland and The National Party, organised and participated in a protest against the appointment of Roderic O'Gorman as Children's Minister for the new Government. Speakers for the rally included Irish actor John Connors and Justin Barrett. The groups involved called the protest after a photo surfaced of O'Gorman alongside gay rights activist Peter Tatchell, who has been forced to defend comments he made in 1997 in which he spoke about sex between adults and children. The rally was condemned by many as homophobic and for the inclusion of nooses on National Party banners and placards. John Connors later publicly apologised for his attendance to which O'Gorman accepted, clarifying that the photo in question was the only time he had met Tatchell, and that he was previously unaware of his controversial comments.[32] Scuffles occurred with a small counterdemonstration, which was broken up by Gardai. No arrests were made.[33]

Rally in protest of Roderic O'Gorman in July 2020

Further protests rallies against Irish lockdown restrictions were organised and participated in from summer 2020 into 2021. Former chairperson Dolores Cahill and current chairperson Michael Leahy both spoke to a large crowd outside The Custom House, Dublin in August.[34] They would return on two more occasions to the Custom House for a march through the Dublin city centre in September, and another anti-lockdown rally in November, the latter featuring Kevin Sharkey as a speaker.[35][36]

In July 2021, Irish Freedom Party were among thousands who attended two protests against vaccine passports outside the Convention Centre Dublin, which was temporarily housing the Oireachtas.[37] Candidate for the party in the 2020 General Election, Ben Gilroy was among the speakers.[38]

A protest organised by the party in Limerick in December 2021 was reportedly dispersed after being challenged by up to 100 counter-protesters, reported to be mostly "young people with Pride flags". Gardaí dispersed the rally after scuffles broke out.[39] The party returned to the same site in March 2022 to host another rally and were met by a counter-demonstration again, however no violence occurred.[40]

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.[41][42] 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.[43][44] Neither candidate was elected, with party leader Herman Kelly receiving 2,441 (0.67%) first preference votes,[45] and Cahill receiving 10,582 (1.47%) first preference votes.[46] 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.[47]

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.[48][49][50]

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, receiving 690 votes (1.5%).[51]

The party fielded 11 candidates in the 2020 Irish general election, with none being elected,[52][53] and candidates achieving a share of first preference votes between 0.19% (119 votes) and 2.06% (956 votes) in their respective constituencies.[54][55] Party chairperson Dolores Cahill came second-last in the Tipperary constituency with 0.6% of first preference votes (521 votes).[56] The best performing candidate of the party was Ben Gilroy in Dublin Bay North, who received 771 first preference votes.[57]

In March 2021, Cahill was asked to leave her position in the party and resigned as party chairperson.[58] In July of that year she went on to stand unsuccessfully as a non-party candidate, in the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election, receiving 0.6% of first preference votes (169 votes).[59]

Position regarding vaccines and lockdown

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Irish Freedom Party organised and had a number of representatives speak at multiple large anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown rallies.[60][61] One rally, held outside the Dublin Custom House in August at which Ben Gilroy and Dolores Cahill spoke, was attended by "hundreds" and reported to have passed off mostly peacefully, despite some instances of violence between attendees and counter protestors, after which four were arrested.[34][62][63]

Cahill, who was then a non-lecturing professor of translational medicine at University College Dublin,[4][64] also spoke at an anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown event in London,[65] which later lead to a warrant for her arrest in the UK.[66] 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",[67][68] 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.[67][68][69] The party "agreed to accept [Cahill's] resignation" several days after it sent a letter to Cahill about her unsubstantiated statements,[66] 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][6] 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".[5] A correspondence obtained by the Irish Independent later found that Cahill had been asked for her resignation.[58]

In 2021, IFP joint-published a COVID-19 information leaflet (with Direct Democracy Ireland and Renua Ireland) advocating against the use of lockdowns as a means of controlling a virus which the leaflet stated was "harmless to the vast majority". A fact check from TheJournal.ie stated that these claims were "misleading and false".[70]

Controversies

Fake candidate

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.[71] The Ireland edition of The Times later reported that the candidate did not exist, and that the website image was a stock photograph.[72] 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,[72] and clarified that the group was not planning to run any candidates in local elections.[73]

Dolores Cahill

Prior to her resignation from IFP in March 2021, party chairperson Dolores Cahill stoked anger for hosting a party, amid Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, of up to 60 guests at her castle in Athy Kildare.[74] Cahill also promoted COVID-19 related conspiracy theories, stating that "globalists" pushed for mandatory mask wearing because "oxygen-deprived people are easier to manipulate".[75]

Confrontation at rallies in Limerick

In December 2021, the party organised a rally in Bedford Row, Limerick city which attracted approximately 100 counter-protestors. An IFP supporter tried to tear an LGBT flag from the hands of a counter-protestor and shouted homophobic slurs and made death threats.[76] The IFP held another rally in Limerick in March 2022, which was "drowned out" by approximately 100 counter-protestors, many of whom carried LGBT flags. Following the disruptions, IFP chairman Michael Leahy rejected claims the IFP are homophobic and said the LGBT rainbow flag was "beautiful" and "symbolises acceptance of diversity and unity in difference". He accused the anti-fascist counter-protestors of themselves engaging in "fascist tactics".[40]

The party has links to far-right German judge Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, who was arrested in December 2022 as part of a series of arrests by the German government as part of a crackdown against a conspiracy to launch a coup d'état and install an imperial dictatorship in Germany. The movement behind the plot has been described as "a loose alliance of neo-Nazis and conspiracy theorists who deny the legitimacy of the modern German state". Malsack-Winkemann spoke at an Irish Freedom Party event in August 2020, after which Hermann Kelly entertained her and her daughter by showing them the Celtic high crosses at Monasterboice. They were also photographed outside a pub. In May 2021, Kelly took part in a two-hour discussion with Ms Malsack-Winkemann and another AfD Bundestag member, Norbert Kleinwächter. They discussed opposition to Covid lockdown measures and arguments in favour of leaving the European Union.[77][78]

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".[14]

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.[79] It advocates independence from "either London or Brussels", desiring to leave the EU and to re-unify Ireland by consent.[80] It advocates "zero tolerance" of corruption and the "separation of powers" in the state.[81]

Some commentators have linked party leader Hermann Kelly with alt-right ideologies, pointing to a YouTube interview in which Kelly appeared in 2018 alongside far-right activist and former British National Party member Jim Dowson.[10][82][83] 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.[83] In 2019, Kelly stated that "those talking about a Great Replacement in Ireland have a point",[84] and in an interview with LifeSiteNews, referred to what he called the "great replacement of our children".[85] Kelly later stated that he believes in "one human race" and has not supported "theories of racial superiority".[86]

Hermann Kelly has been described as "waging a war" against mandatory vaccinations and vaccination certificates. As of 2021, he was serving as press officer to Romanian MEP Cristian Terheș of the European Conservatives and Reformists group, who consistently declined to show proof of vaccination upon entering the European Parliament.[87]

Party chairman, Michael Leahy has stated that he is "sceptical of climate change," calling it "hyper alarmism.” He however says he is in favour “alternative energy sources because we are running out of fossil fuels”.[88]

The party has been accused of promoting an anti-LGBT, homophobic and conspiracy agenda, including by the Global Project against Hate and Extremism.[89] IFP chairman Michael Leahy has rejected this claim and stated that the group has "no policy whatever in regard to discrimination against homosexuals".[40] Speaking at a rally in 2023, party leader Hermann Kelly described transgender people as "chicks with dicks" and "cocks with frocks".[90] The Irish Freedom Party itself has publicly asserted there is an "aggressive Trans lobby" that is "bullying" and that a "Transgender ideology" exists.[91][92]

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. 1 2 "About Us". Irexit Freedom to Prosper. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 "UCD academic Dolores Cahill resigns as chair of Irish Freedom Party". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  5. 1 2 "'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"
  6. 1 2 "Freedom Party chair Dolores Cahill asked to resign after controversial Covid claims". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 6 June 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  7. ↑ "Abhaile". Irexit Freedom to Prosper. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  8. 1 2 McGee, Harry (2 September 2018). "Political party seeking Irish EU exit to be launched". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  9. 1 2 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. Archived from the original on 2 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
  10. 1 2 "Ireland's Alt Right: The people building an empire online". The Business Post. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  11. ↑ "Register of Political Parties 10 March 2022" (PDF). data.oireachtas.ie. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  12. 1 2 McGreevy, Ronan (8 September 2018). "Irexit party founder says 'dung' from EU 'will help us grow'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  13. ↑ "Ireland: Irish far-right party to protest hate speech bill in Dublin on May 13". Ireland: Irish far-right party to protest hate speech bill in Dublin on May 13 | Crisis24. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  14. 1 2 Tobin, Sharon (8 September 2018). "'Irexit' group seeking to register as political party". RTÉ News. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  15. ↑ Carswell, Simon (3 February 2018). "Irexit conference: 'I am hoping something comes of this'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
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  17. ↑ Holland, Kitty (8 September 2018). "Irexit Freedom to Prosper to field candidates in European elections". The Irish Times. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
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  25. ↑ "Migration activists turn to 4chan". thetimes.co.uk. Sunday Times Ireland Edition. 9 December 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  26. ↑ "Far-right activists incite and spread uproar online over Oughterard asylum". IrishTimes.com. The Times Ireland Edition. 22 September 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  27. ↑ "Thousands protest over plan to locate direct provision centre in Oughterard". Independent.ie. The Irish Independent. 28 October 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  28. ↑ "F'A Lightning Rod': Anti-immigrant rhetoric, Ireland's Direct Provision system and Carrickmacross". TheJournal.ie. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  29. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=1364247883752482
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  31. ↑ "Rival protesters clash at Dáil rally against hate speech law". IrishTimes.com. Irish Times. 1 February 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  32. ↑ "Children's Minister accepts apology from John Connors who says he was 'politically naive'". TheJournal.ie. The Journal. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  33. ↑ "Gardai break up scuffle as campaigners call for resignation of Roderic O'Gorman". Extra.ie. Extra. 11 July 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  34. 1 2 "Four arrested in clashes at anti-facemask protest in Dublin". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 22 August 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  35. ↑ "Irish Freedom Rally | Kevin Sharkey". YouTube.
  36. ↑ "Irexit: Does anyone take talk of Ireland leaving the EU seriously?". Buzz.ie. Buzz. 6 November 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  37. ↑ "Dublin protest: LIVE updates as thousands of demonstrators march on city for anti-vaccine passport protest". IrishMirror.ie. Irish Mirror. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  38. ↑ "Large protest in Dublin last night as Dáil passed indoor dining legislation". IrishMirror.ie. Irish Mirror. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  39. ↑ Jacques, Alan (23 December 2021). "Angry scenes as protesters clash". Limerick Post Newspaper. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  40. 1 2 3 Jacques, Alan (22 October 2022). "No Limerick welcome for Irish Freedom Party". Limerick Post Newspaper. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  41. ↑ @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.
  42. ↑ Rogan, Aaron (2 April 2019). "'Irexit' party fails to tick its own box in road to European elections". The Times Ireland edition.
  43. ↑ "Candidates for European Election". Cork City Returning Officer. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  44. ↑ "Candidates for European Election". Dublin County Returning Officer. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  45. ↑ "European Election: 24 May 2019, Dublin, European Parliament". electionsireland.org. Elections Ireland. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  46. ↑ "European Election: 24 May 2019, South, European Parliament". electionsireland.org. Elections Irelands. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  47. ↑ "Register of Political Parties 13 June 2019" (PDF). oireachtas.ie. Oireachtas Service. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  48. ↑ "Notice of Poll - November 2019". wexfordreturningofficer.com. Wexford Returning Officer. 16 November 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  49. ↑ Harrison, Shane (9 November 2017). "'Bullying culture' claims hound Sinn Féin". BBC News. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  50. ↑ "Live results from the 2019 By Elections". rte.ie. RTÉ News. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  51. ↑ "Mid Ulster Comfortable win for Sinn Fein". irishnews.com. 13 December 2019.
  52. ↑ "General Election 2020 - Irish Freedom Party". thejournal.ie. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 10 February 2020.
  53. ↑ "Candidates by Party - 2020 General Election - 8 February 2020 - Irish Freedom Party". electionsireland.org. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  54. ↑ "Election 2020 - Results - Dún Laoghaire". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 10 February 2020.
  55. ↑ 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
  56. ↑ "Election 2020 - Results - Tipperary". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 10 February 2020.
  57. ↑ "Election 2020: Dublin Bay North". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  58. 1 2 "Freedom Party chair Dolores Cahill asked to resign after controversial Covid claims". independent.ie. Irish Independent. 6 June 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  59. ↑ "Byelection: Dublin Bay South - Results". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  60. ↑ "Four men arrested at anti-lockdown and anti-mask protest in Dublin". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 23 August 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  61. ↑ "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.
  62. ↑ "Anti-mask, anti-lockdown protest planned for Dublin on Saturday". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  63. ↑ "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
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  65. ↑ "32 arrested at anti-lockdown protest in London". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 19 September 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  66. 1 2 "UK arrest warrant issued for Irish anti-vaccine campaigner Dolores Cahill". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 18 August 2021.
  67. 1 2 "The Infodemic". thejournal.ie. Journal Media Ltd. 19 September 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  68. 1 2 "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.
  69. ↑ 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.
  70. ↑ "FactCheck: Misleading Covid-19 claims in a leaflet made by three political parties". thejournal.ie. Journal Media Ltd. 2 March 2021. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  71. ↑ "Irexit Freedom announces Mairead Donovan as candidate for Killarney". killarneyadvertiser.ie. Killarney Advertiser. 12 March 2019. Archived from the original on 12 March 2019.
  72. 1 2 "Irexit Group Accused Of Inventing Election Candidate". todayfm.com. Today FM. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  73. ↑ "'Irexit' deny sending out fake election candidate to local papers". buzz.ie. Independent Star Limited. 14 March 2019. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  74. ↑ "OWNER OF WHITE CASTLE IN ATHY RESIGNS AS CHAIR OF IRISH FREEDOM PARTY". kildare-nationalist.ie. Kildare Nationalist. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  75. ↑ Power, Jack. "UCD professor Dolores Cahill moved from lecturer role". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  76. ↑ Jacques, Alan (6 January 2022). "Irish Freedom Party plan Limerick return". Limerick Post Newspaper. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  77. ↑ "Irish Freedom Party leader rejects 'nazism and nuttery' after links emerge to German far-right judge". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  78. ↑ "Arrested German coup politician Birgit Malsack-Winkemann was guest speaker at Irish Freedom Party conference". independent. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  79. ↑ "Policies". irishfreedom.ie. Irish Freedom Party. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  80. ↑ "Irish Freedom Party - Principles". irishfreedom.ie. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  81. ↑ "Irish Freedom Party - Tackling Corruption". irishfreedom.ie. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  82. ↑ "Dowson- Kelly interview". youtube.com. 29 December 2018. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  83. 1 2 "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
  84. ↑ @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.
  85. ↑ "Abortion is 'stain' that 'should be removed' – Hermann Kelly". irexitfreedom.ie. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. 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"
  86. ↑ "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
  87. ↑ "Irexit leader wages war on Covid-19 certs in role paid by EU". IrishTimes.com. The Irish Times. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  88. ↑ "GE2020 The Campaign Trail: Michael Leahy in Ennis". clareecho.ie. The Clare Echo. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  89. ↑ "Ireland's far-right groups influenced by American far-right extremists, new report finds". Irish Central. 22 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  90. ↑ Michael Leahy & Herman Kelly Free Speech Rally, Customs Hse. Dublin 13th March 2023., retrieved 18 May 2023
  91. ↑ @IrexitFreedom (10 March 2023). "There has been NO demand and NO campaign from parents for the teaching of Transgender issues to primary school children. This agenda is promoted by an aggressive Trans lobby, supported by politicians like @LeoVaradkar and @rodericogorman. Say NO and support #Irishfreedom" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  92. ↑ @IrexitFreedom (6 March 2023). ".@LeoVaradkar and @sinnfeinireland, along with the entirety of the political establishment support Transgender ideology being pushed on primary school children. #Irishfreedom will say NO to the bullying Trans lobby" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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