Gardai have arrested a man in connection with threats to kill Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.
This week a number of videos were posted on social media in which a masked man threatened shoot the Sinn Féin leader as well as Mr Harris.
Speaking into the camera, he says that the Garda Commissioner will “be getting shot” and “f***in’ blasted” before the end of the year.
The masked man also adds in the same video: “And see that Mary Lou? I’ll shoot her meself, for free. I’ll do her for free, I will, yeah”.
The Special Detective Unit, which investigates threats to State security, have been carrying out inquiries into the footage.
This morning a man, aged in his late 20s, was arrested at a property in south Dublin in relation to the threats.
The man is known to gardaí and has previously been investigated for armed robberies and crimes against women.
Drew Harris. Photo: Mark Condren
Writing on X yesterday, Mary Lou McDonald said the threat “represents an escalation of targeted online abuse directed at me over the last year.
“It is totally unacceptable. I have reported this to An Garda Síochána. Ironically, this threat was made while I was hosting a discussion on the need for zero tolerance when it comes to violence against women and girls,” she added.
The footage were originally published on a TikTok account before being further circulated on other social media platforms.
The account on which it was originally uploaded features a person’s full name, and appears to show other videos by the same individual unmasked on the account.
In another clip the masked man says that gardaí should be followed home and their houses targeted.
“You don’t need any brain to set a pipe bomb off, all you need is a pipe a bit of eh, eh a bit of gunpowder and a fucking eh, eh, you know yourself like.” He also makes reference to the anti-immigration protests and violence in Dublin this week, saying: “This is ridiculous lads. Get up the lads in Coolock. F**kin’ love yas, lads, petrol bomb the f**k out of the lot of them.
“Don’t worry lads, I’ll be down to help ya, don’t worry about that. Yiz have more backup than yas think, lads, yeah?”
He then urges them to “take that Drew Harris p***k as well, take his whole throat, lads, take Drew Harris’s throat off him. F**k Drew Harris, f**k the lot of them in that fuckin’ Dáil, f**ck everyone, f**k everyone.
“Think about your f**kin’ self. Drew Harris, he be getting shot, he be getting’ f**kin’ blasted, I swear to God on that, he be getting shot before the end of the year. And see that Mary Lou? I’ll shoot her meself, for free. I’ll do her for free, I will, yeah?”