Identity Ireland

Identity Ireland
Aithenteas Éire
Leader Peter O'Loughlin
Founded July 2015 (July 2015)
Headquarters Identity Ireland Suite 5068,
5 Fitzwilliam Square East,
Dublin 2, Ireland
Ideology Euroscepticism
Right-wing populism
Nationalism
Anti-Islamism
Anti-immigration
Political position Right-wing
Affiliation Fortress Europe
Website
www.identityireland.org

Identity Ireland is an unregistered political party in Ireland. It was launched in Dublin on 22 July 2015. Its founders are Gary Allen, Peter O'Loughlin and Alan Tighe.[1] O'Loughlin is the party's national spokesperson.[2]

Policy

Identity Ireland argues for a return to Irish sovereignty and to the Irish pound.[3] The party supports a controlled border policy in order to curtail the mass immigration that, it says, is putting strain on the Irish welfare system.[4] It also supports more careful vetting of incoming asylum seekers.[4] It supports the Irish branch of Pegida, and has joined the Fortress Europe coalition.[5] It advocates the introduction of a two strike law for serious offences, as well as the re-introduction of penal labour.[6] It supports keeping Ireland's neutrality.[7]

Election results

Peter O'Loughlin ran as an independent candidate in the Carlow–Kilkenny by-election in 2015 and was eliminated on the first count[8] having taken 1.4% of first-preference votes.[9] Another party member, Ted Neville, ran as an independent candidate in four previous elections in the Cork South–Central constituency.[10] He has appeared on television to discuss immigration.[11] O'Loughlin ran unsuccessfully in the 2016 Irish general election in the Cork North-Central constituency as an independent, being eliminated on the second count.[12][13]

General election results

Election Seats won ± Position First Pref votes % Government Leader
2016
0 / 166
0
17		 183 0.36% Unelected Peter O'Loughlin

Reception

Identity Ireland has been accused of being racist and fascist. Some of its press conferences and meetings, and its launch, have been disrupted by protesters.[14][15] However after the launch its membership went up by 25%, to 115 members.[3] Party leader Peter O'Loughlin was invited to speak at the first Pegida rally of 2016 in Dresden, Germany.[16] In January the party was criticized for suggesting a local Muslim community leader be tossed into the Irish Sea. It has since clarified that it did not actually advocate violence against him, but was simply concerned about his actions.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ identity ireland is launched in Dublin, July 2015. 28 July 2015 – via YouTube.
  2. ↑ Identity Ireland. 24 October 2015 – via YouTube.
  3. 1 2 "Identity Ireland sees 25% increase in membership since yesterday". newstalk.com.
  4. 1 2 Catherine Healy. "These men tried to launch a new party … but anti-racism protesters gate-crashed their event". TheJournal.ie.
  5. ↑ Roche, Barry (30 January 2016). "Anti-Islamic group Pegida Ireland to be launched at Dublin rally". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  6. ↑ http://identityireland.org/law-order/
  7. ↑ "Identity Ireland's Photos - Identity Ireland | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
  8. ↑ "Sinn Féin big winners in Carlow/Kilkenny by-election".
  9. ↑ "FF look set for by-election win after Aylward pulls ahead to 28%".
  10. ↑ "ElectionsIreland.org: Ted Neville".
  11. ↑ Ted Neville of Identity Ireland discusses immigration on the Late Review. 30 July 2015 – via YouTube.
  12. ↑ http://www.electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=2016&cons=57
  13. ↑ "Cork North-Central". RTE.ie. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  14. ↑ Rónán Duffy. "Gardaí probe assault at meeting of party that wants "proper border control"". TheJournal.ie.
  15. ↑ "Launch of controversial right wing political party descends into chaos in Dublin". Independent.ie.
  16. ↑ "Head of controversial Irish group addresses far-right rally in Germany". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 2016-01-10.
  17. ↑ "Political group Identity Ireland clarifies comments about senior Islamic figure". www.irishexaminer.com. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
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