Politician

2023 - 2 - 17

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Image courtesy of "RTE.ie"

The life of an Irish politician: abuse, harassment and violence (RTE.ie)

Irish politicians have faced murder, physical attacks, verbal abuse and online hate campaigns while doing their job over the last 100 years.

[Manage Preferences](javascript:void(0);) [age of austerity](https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/the-age-of-irish-austerity-will-not-be-short-lived-1.1506). There was also sustained, deeply personalised and possibly [co-ordinated](https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/cahill-abused-online-on-a-demonic-basis-says-labour-leader-34199772.html) social media abuse of former Labour senator [Máiría Cahill](https://mairiacahill.com/). During another heave in 1983, many Haughey opponents received threatening phone calls: the Jewish Fianna Fáil TD, [Ben Briscoe](https://jewishmuseum.ie/jews-of-ireland/prominent_people/ben-briscoe/), being [told](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/haughey-used-scare-tactics-on-rebellious-tds-qlx0j8m6n66) 'Hitler should have finished the job'. [suppression](https://www.historyireland.com/oh-heres-to-adolph-hitler-the-ira-and-the-nazis/) of the anti-Treaty IRA during the Second World War heralded a broadly safer political environment throughout the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. [Sinn Féin](https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2020/1125/1180350-sinn-fein-history-ireland/) party, [Seán Hales](https://www.dib.ie/biography/hales-sean-a3708), was murdered by the [anti-Treaty IRA](https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2020/1214/1184315-ira-history-ireland/) on a Dublin street. [murdered](https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/arid-20454418.html) by anti-Treaty IRA members. [Senator John Bagwell](https://www.dib.ie/index.php/biography/bagwell-john-philip-jack-a0312) was less fortunate: following the burning of his home, he was held captive for a number of days before escaping. [Jo Cox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Cox) and [David Amess](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Amess) is apt. John Gogarty](https://www.dib.ie/index.php/biography/gogarty-oliver-st-john-a3513) evaded a kidnap attempt by jumping into the River Liffey. Three days after Hales’ murder, an arson attack on the home of Sinn Féin TD, [Seán McGarry](https://www.dib.ie/biography/mcgarry-sean-a5663), claimed the life of McGarry’s seven-year-old son. [push back](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/politicians-right-to-raise-a-stink-over-poo-attack-9t97d8mc0) against an increasing and intensifying climate of abuse, harassment, and threats of violence towards public representatives.

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Image courtesy of "NNN"

Anne Rabbitte and Ciarán Cannon experienced bag of sh t (NNN)

'A bag of sh.t was thrown at me' are the words any politician should utter in a modern liberal democracy. However, it was the recounted experience of Fianna ...

It could have been worse – and perhaps it was, for some members of the government that took over in 2011. Constituency offices of TDs were vandalised, Government members were verbally abused on the street, and one minister was attacked with paint during a public event. To those unfamiliar with the cycles of history, a bag of cow dung thrown at a politician you support may appear to be the pinnacle of abuse. This changed with the onset of the Troubles in Northern Profligate spending based on a narrow taxation base in the good times meant Ireland suffered more than most western nations during recession and the sitting government faced the citizen’s wrath. [Oliver St](https://nnn.ng/tag/oliver-st/). During a blatantly sectarian attack on a family in Co Monaghan, the Provisional IRA murdered Protestant Fine Gael senator, Billy Fox. In 1972 gardaí raided an apartment across the street from his accommodation, and a rifle with a telescopic scope was discovered. Senator [John Bagwell](https://nnn.ng/tag/john-bagwell/) was less fortunate: following the burning of his home, he was held captive for a number of days before escaping. ‘A bag of sh.t was thrown at me’ are the words any politician should utter in a modern liberal democracy. According to one source, members of the budding Irish secret service were despatched to find them, stiffen their resolve, and return them to Dublin to ensure parliamentary democracy could function. The establishment of an independent Irish state on December 6th 1922 should have marked a period of celebration.

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Image courtesy of "Vanguard"

Any politician that wins election through violence won't have ... (Vanguard)

–As Catholic Church holds Town Hall in Owerri. By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja. The Justice Development, Peace and Caritas Commission, JDPC, of the Owerri ...

“The spate of violence during elections has become a source of concern to the Church. According to him, “JDPC is an organ of the Church that relates with the society especially in the area of good governance advocacy. Gerald Njoku stated this in his address at the Town Hall meeting organised by the Commission in collaboration with the Church for candidates of all political parties in the forthcoming general elections at the Ultra Modern Jubilee Hall, Assumpta Cathedral Owerri.

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