From Margins to Mainstream: Far-Right Mobilisation and Anti-Immigration Violence in Ireland

- Mairead Quinlan, Junior Editor

The global rise of the far right is clear for all to see however the emergence of these extreme beliefs have, by and large, escaped Ireland in the past. A reason for this is perhaps the absence of a traditional left- and right-wing political divide in the Irish government where political lines were drawn along the pro and anti-Anglo-Irish Treaty divide. This is no longer the case, events in recent years have made it clear that there is  growing  far right support in Ireland. An early indication of this was the strong anti-vaccination movement during the Covid-19 crisis, fueled by a dangerous mix of conspiracy theories, misinformation and anti-establishment populism. More recent proof presents itself through anti-immigration protests and attacks on international protection accommodation. This aggressively unwelcoming attitude from a portion of citizens of a nation perpetually immersed in the tragedy of the famine and ensuing discrimination in new countries seems on the surface confusing. However, if one widens the lens and looks at the political climate of those countries closest to us both across the Atlantic and the Irish Sea the explanation becomes clearer. This blog argues that recent anti-immigration violence in Ireland represents a shift from marginal rhetoric to organised far-right mobilisation, influenced by global trends and amplified by misinformation.

There are currently 300 International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres in Ireland. These are state-run facilities that house both adults and children who are applying for international protection in Ireland. In recent times there has been a clear, worrying rise in attacks on IPAS centres in Ireland, one of the most recent examples was seen in Drogheda in October 2025. These events are indicative of an escalation in anti-immigration sentiment and hostility towards those seeking international protection in Ireland.

The most prominent example of the culmination of the growth of this ideology in Ireland  was the Dublin riots on Thursday, 23 November 2023. These events were  in response to  a stabbing attack where a young child  suffered life altering injuries in the city earlier that day. Following the incident, many took to the streets of Dublin to express their outrage at what had occurred. This resulted in the worst rioting to occur in Dublin since those in 2006 in the aftermath of the ‘Love Ulster’ marches. Partakers were rioting against the man who had stabbed the young child, who happened to be an immigrant. However, rioters seemed to conveniently disregard that the child may have died had it not been for another immigrant, working as a delivery driver who came across the scene and hit the attacker on the head with his helmet. This did not fit into the picture that those rioting hoped to create. Their image is one that depicts immigrants coming into the country and attacking or harming Irish women and children. 

 Those protesting against migration also seem to be dismissing the disproportionately high numbers of domestic abuse in Ireland, with approximately 35% of women experiencing domestic abuse in their lifetimes. Currently Gardaí respond to one incident of domestic abuse every sixteen minutes across the country. Statistics such as this might indicate that the most prominent threat to Irish people is in fact Irish citizens themselves, not immigrants fleeing from persecution and looking for refuge in Ireland. Images of the Luas burning and gardaí under attack horrified the majority of Irish people, taxi driver Eddie Byrne commented "I felt really embarrassed of the whole thing and ashamed, I did. Like that – that?! - could happen, in our city?". This demonstrates that while the far right may be growing in Ireland, the majority of people are not in support of this behaviour.

In the years following the Dublin riots of 2023, further protests have followed on Tuesday, 21 October 2025,  disorder erupted outside the Citywest Hotel which is being used to accommodate asylum seekers. This was in response to reports that emerged of a young girl being sexually assaulted by a migrant. The Citywest transit hub provides accommodation for 460 adults seeking international protection, while separately there are about 800 asylum seekers, including more than 300 children, living in an IPAS centre adjacent to the Citywest hotel. The situation quickly escalated and the Garda riot unit was deployed when protestors began to throw bricks, glass bottles and set off fireworks. In an official statement shared on X, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said, “I strongly condemn the violent disorder that unfolded in Citywest in Dublin this evening”, adding, “There can be no justification for the vile abuse against [Gardaí], or the attempted assaults and attacks on members of the force that will shock all right-thinking people”. 

Following this, in November 2025, a building used as accommodation for those applying for International Protection in Drogheda was set on fire. 28 people were living in the centre at the time of the attack. This resulted in four children and one adult being evacuated from the building . Minister for Justice Jim O’ Callaghan warned of the serious consequences to be faced by those who started the attack by throwing fireworks into the building. Those who had to be rescued from the top floor of the building were taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries and the fire brigade attended the scene. 

In early October the Citywest location became the second location in Ireland for processing applications for international protection. During the Dáil debates of 5^th November 2025, Minister for Justice Jim O’ Callaghan addressed the current situation surrounding international protection in Ireland. He refered to the numbers of immigrants coming into Ireland and highlighted that those applying for international protection only account for a small percentage of these numbers. O’ Callaghan also put these numbers into the larger context of both those coming into Ireland but also those who are leaving the country each year. While immigration figures remain high, the Central Statistics Office recorded the largest number of emigrants since 2015 leaving Ireland at 69,000. The number of immigrants stood at 149,600 in 2024 which was a 5% increase on the numbers from 2023. 86,800 of these immigrants were not from the UK or EU or returning Irish citizens. He specified that those seeking international protection are categorised under this heading because they are fleeing from war or persecution and as such Ireland has certain obligations to fulfil in relation to our intake in international protection applicants. He also pointed to the important economic impact of immigrants and that a declining population is detrimental to the economy and country as a whole. He implored those listening not to allow the violent acts that had been carried out to affect or ‘mould’ the Irish reaction to international protection. He also proposed the new International Protection Bill that he hoped to bring before the House which has since been published on the 13^th of January this year. 

The International Protection Bill 2026 will replace the International Protection Act 2015. The Bill introduces faster processing of asylum claims with a much more efficient decision-making system. Faster processing means that those applying will spend less time in IPAS accommodation, and it will significantly reduce the cost of the asylum system to the State. Faster decision-making will also mean that applicants who are successful will be granted international protection sooner, and those whose applications are refused can be returned to their country of origin sooner. O’ Callaghan commented that ‘“Today I secured Cabinet approval to publish the International Protection Bill that will lead to the most significant reform of Irish asylum laws in the history of the State. "This government fundamentally believes in the right to claim asylum. We will always uphold our obligation on this important principle of international law for those who need our protection.”

These events display an evident and worrying shift in the political landscape of Ireland. While traditionally Ireland has managed to stay on the fringe of organised far-right mobilisation seen elsewhere, recent years have made it clear that we are no longer protected from this ideology. Attacks on IPAS centres, unrest at other asylum accommodation sites, and violence seen during the Dublin riots reveal a clear escalation from mere rhetoric to action. 

It is important to note that these events cannot be analysed in isolation. They reflect the global threat of far-right discourse, the rise of ‘ misinformation and the impact of this in the aftermath of individual criminal incidents that can be misconstrued on social media leading to a mobilisation of violent right-wing activists. The selective framing of crime along ethnic or immigration lines serves only to deflect attention from  entrenched issues while legitimising hostility towards those seeking refuge. 

The political response, including proposed reforms to the international protection system, highlights the importance of addressing legitimate concerns around capacity and processing while firmly rejecting violence and scapegoating. Ireland’s legal and moral obligations under EU and international law, coupled with the demonstrable social and economic contributions of immigrants, demand a measured and principled response rather than one shaped by fear or disorder.

Ultimately, how Ireland responds to this moment will shape not only the safety of those seeking protection, but the character of Irish society itself. Allowing far-right narratives to define national identity risks normalising exclusion and violence. Confronting them through evidence, accountability and an unwavering commitment to human rights is essential if Ireland aims to resist the influence of divisive ideologies and uphold the values it so often claims to represent.