Aoife Gallagher

@aoifegall.bsky.social

Posts

Senior analyst @ISDGlobal.
Previously, Investigations @Storyful.
Extremism, conspiracy theories, mis/disinfo.
Author of Web Of Lies: The Lure and Danger of Conspiracy Theories. https://linktr.ee/aoifegall
Get in touch through [email protected]

Posts Replies Media

Reposted by

Aoife Gallagher

The Sky News piece on the international input in Irish anti-immigrant Twitter has certainly caught people’s attention, but here’s why you shouldn’t read too much into it. (PS: I’m not over on the hellsite anymore, so realise the reach of this will be crap. Please repost it there if you so wish)

Reposted by

Aoife Gallagher

Those willing to engage in violence/intimidation "will become more emboldened & continue to act w/ impunity,” said @aoifegall.bsky.social to the @irishexaminer.bsky.social after a group of masked people in Ireland defaced a politician's home with little pushback despite police presence.

Ireland's gardaí's "soft touch-approach" emboldening far-right and conspiracy groups in Irelandwww.isdglobal.org ISD’s Aoife Gallagher on the increasing intimidation and violence faced by politicians from far-right agitators and conspiracy groups in Ireland.

"Mr Gomes dos Santos told The Irish Times he was near the entrance to his home when the man addressing his brother asked, “Where are you from?” and when he said, “Brazil,” within seconds, the assailant hit him above his left eye." www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/20...

‘I’ll see the scar and remember this happened in Ireland,’ says Brazilian victim of unprovoked Limerick assaultwww.irishtimes.com Attack on Roberto Gomes dos Santos jnr, who moved to Ireland from a favela in Rio de Janeiro, left him needing six stitches

Reposted by

Aoife Gallagher

Interested in protecting democracy and pushing back against the rise of extremism in Ireland? Have skills in online investigations/data analysis and knowledge of the Irish landscape? Come work with us! isdglobal.recruitee.com/o/digital-re...

Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) - Digital Research Analyst (Ireland)isdglobal.recruitee.com ISD is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to safeguarding human rights and reversing the rising tide of polarisation, extremism and disinformation worldwide. Why work for ISD? ISD is n

ICYMI: "This man is known to gardaí, having been investigated for drug-related offences in the past. He is also known for posting anti-immigration and far-right rhetoric online." www.independent.ie/irish-news/c...

Gardaí raid home of suspected ringleader of gang who beat Croatian man to deathwww.independent.ie The home of the suspected “ringleader” of a gang who beat a Croatian man to death was searched and a mobile phone seized within days of the murder, it can be revealed.

Depressing/essential reading. www.rte.ie/news/primeti...

Microcosm of a crisis: Online posts shed light on camp clearancewww.rte.ie The events of Saturday shine a light on several issues related to the crisis, while details audible on protesters' own livestreams provide insights into the dynamics between local and non-local people...

Great piece by DCU's Eileen Culloty on the potential impact of deepfakes on elections around the world this year. theconversation.com/deepfakes-ar...

Deepfakes are still new, but 2024 could be the year they have an impact on electionstheconversation.com As technology has advanced, AI-generated deepfakes have become more convincing.

Great report here from Channel 4 on the Irish far-right, their role in the anti-immigrant movement and the reality of life here for asylum seekers. More of this please (from Irish media) www.channel4.com/news/ireland...

Ireland: The rise and human cost of the anti-migrant movementwww.channel4.com Ireland's Taoiseach has used a speech to the Irish diaspora in the US, to highlight that St Patrick - who is celebrated every March 17th - was a 'single, male, undocumented migrant'. Immigration prote...

Reposted by

Aoife Gallagher

🚨NEW RESEARCH KLAXON!🚨 The latest piece from @isdgermany.bsky.social explores how German farmers' protests are being co-opted and shaped by the international far-right. DE version also available on our website! Email [email protected] for further info. www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...

Chance or cultivation? Farmers’ protests in Germany and the far rightwww.isdglobal.org In view of the nationwide farmers’ protests in Germany, ISD found that some farmers who played a key role in organising the protests are linked to a larger conspiracy theorist and far-right network th...

'Woods, whose real name is Keith O’Brien, is an Irish white nationalist who reportedly described himself as a “raging antisemite"...and has reportedly been “a frequent guest on white nationalist Richard Spencer’s livestreams.' www.mediamatters.org/google/youtu...

YouTube is monetizing and helping raise funds for Keith Woods, a white nationalist and self-described “raging antisemite”www.mediamatters.org

"A 61-year-old man charged in connection with an arson attack on a Luas on the night of the Dublin Riots is an activist with the Far Right ‘National Party.’" m.sundayworld.com/crime/courts...

Man (61) charged over arson attack on Luas is activist with far right ‘National Party’m.sundayworld.com A 61-year-old man charged in connection with an arson attack on a Luas on the night of the Dublin Riots is an activist with the Far Right ‘National Party.’

Reposted by

Aoife Gallagher

"Ireland has more in common with other colonised countries than it does with imperialist ones. Their inclusion within the hierarchy of race as “white” means Irish people can be manipulated emotively to believe that Irishness & whiteness are the same thing." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

False prophets are peddling conspiracy theories about Ireland’s history. Here’s the truth | Emma Dabiriwww.theguardian.com From Russell Brand to Steve Bannon, pundits are distorting our past oppression – when it should be a source of solidarity with refugees, says Guardian Europe columnist Emma Dabiri

Reposted by

Aoife Gallagher

Shocked to discover that claims Roscrea can’t accept asylum seekers because schools are full was bullshit and, In fact, it’s migrant kids that’s keeping one school open www.rte.ie/news/2024/01...

Education sources deny Roscrea schools are 'full'www.rte.ie Education sources in Roscrea have said primary schools in the Tipperary town do have the capacity to take additional pupils and are not 'full', as some protesters at the Racket Hall hotel site as well...

"Once more, fire has become the language of choice for some in this country who believe they’re revolting against a new tyranny, though this perceived uprising is one suffused with hate, racism and reactionary nativism." By @ciaranoconnor.bsky.social www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...

Arson marks a new era of extremism in Irelandwww.irishexaminer.com Once more, arson is an expression of dissent in Ireland, but this self-proclaimed rebellion merely cloaks hate-filled racism and and reactionary nativism

Another fire (not yet being called arson) at a building housing asylum seekers, this time in Buncrana (I count 3 in Buncrana now since last May). A number of people taken to hospital for smoke inhalation. www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2024...

Fire breaks out in Donegal building used to house asylum seekerswww.irishtimes.com Gardaí investigating cause of fire at licensed premises on main street in Buncrana

"What’s striking..is just how brazen and open this incitement [is]. There are no coded messages, no nods or winks. The line is clear: since Jews “chose the path of destruction” by refusing to become Christians, Ireland must play its part in that destruction." www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2024...

Fintan O'Toole: Gemma O’Doherty’s The Irish Light comes unbidden through my letterboxwww.irishtimes.com Hatred of Jews is not a ‘response’ to Israeli violence, but the mass killing of Palestinian civilians creates a space in which it can show itself in all its naked savagery

"In criticising the Government’s immigration policy, McGregor has..call[ed] for the deportation of..any immigrant convicted of a crime. McGregor himself is no stranger to committing crimes in Ireland or abroad." Good round up on McGregor in TheJournal.ie . www.thejournal.ie/conor-mcgreg...

Conor McGregor: Is the UFC's biggest star becoming a poster boy for Ireland's far-right?www.thejournal.ie The 35-year-old has hinted at a run for the presidency.

Back to work today after a month off. I tried to disconnect as much as possible, which means I've probably missed loads. So Bluesky friends, please comment with any must read articles/posts re: asylum centre arson attacks, Epstein docs and anything else I should read/watch etc.

Reposted by

Aoife Gallagher

Read this earlier this year and is one of my fave reads. Highly, highly recommend.

A friendly festive reminder that last year I wrote a book about the growing influence of the far-right in Ireland and beyond. Still the perfect stocking filler one year later! Order here: linktr.ee/aoifegall

Reposted by

Aoife Gallagher

The best book I've read on the topic and my most recommended book of the last year.

Reposted by

Aoife Gallagher

Delighted that our report - “Deny, Deceive, Delay Vol.3” - got a full write-up in the New York Times today. @nytimes.com I’ll post a link to access the research in comments below, and welcome any questions about what we found - in lieu of DMs, just tag me in posts! www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/t...

Disinformation Is One of Climate Summit’s Biggest Challengeswww.nytimes.com Online influencers, fossil fuel companies and some of the countries attending COP28 have nourished a feedback loop of falsehoods.

Reposted by

Aoife Gallagher

Reply to

Aoife Gallagher

ICYMI, we covered the role of Gript in report #3 of Uisce Faoi Thalamh and found that within 7 of the 9 topics analysed, the outlet consistently outperformed all legacy news orgs Pages 6-7: www.isdglobal.org/isd-publicat...

Gardaí set to approach a "news outlet" on their reporting. "Sources say the person the article is in fact referring to a completely different individual - who is not the suspect." www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-n...

Gardai set to take action over 'fake news' circulating about Dublin stabbingswww.irishmirror.ie The suspect, who is an Algerian national, remains in a coma in a hospital - and therefore Gardai have been unable to question him to date. However in the interim the attacker has now been wrongly iden...

Reposted by

Aoife Gallagher

📢🚨 RESEARCH KLAXON 📢🚨 Today Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD) - an alliance of 50+ orgs - released our latest trend analysis on the eve of #COP28. It has case studies exploring the ‘outrage economy’, fossil fuel lobby and state actors. Key findings to follow 👇 caad.info/analysis/rep...

Reposted by

Aoife Gallagher

the influx of american racists descending on irish twitter has been truly depressing, but then you do also get gems like this so who's to say if it's good or bad

I'm going to officially migrate from the hellsite to here by end of year. It would be great to connect with more people here. Do follow me if you're interested in the activity of the far-right in Ireland, conspiracy theories and online mis/disinfo. Also be great to connect with more Irish peeps!

It was quite horrifying to see the findings of this report play out on the streets of Dublin last Thursday. This escalation has been a long time coming and was entirely predictable if you've been paying attention to the far-right in Ireland.

Yesterday at @isdglobal.bsky.social, we published Uisce Faoi Thalamh: An Investigation into the Online Mis- and Disinformation Ecosystem in Ireland. The research is based on an analysis of 13.2 million online posts from 1,640 accounts posted on 12 platforms between Jan 2020 and April 2023.