Aoife Gallagher
@aoifegall.bsky.social
7.8K followers 700 following 91 posts
Senior analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Previously, Investigations @ Storyful. Extremism, conspiracy theories, mis/disinfo Author of Web Of Lies: The Lure and Danger of Conspiracy Theories. https://linktr.ee/aoifegall 🇮🇪🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇸
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aoifegall.bsky.social
Paul Nolan has finally been jailed. He has spent the last 18 months harassing and intimidating asylum seekers and posting evidence of his crimes online under his own name. Glad to see this happen but unsure why it took so long.

jrnl.ie/6827359
YouTuber becomes first person jailed for posts exposing identities of asylum seekers
Paul Nolan, 36, stood outside an IPAS centre, goading and recording applicants.
jrnl.ie
Reposted by Aoife Gallagher
saoirsemc.bsky.social
Fucking disgusting. Throwing the most vulnerable people under the bus to dodge taking any sort of real action on housing.
the place is overrun with empty and derelict homes and landlords are outbidding everybody and this loser minister targeting social housing www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-n...
Irish Government plans to stop illegal immigrants getting free social housing
A new law banning the controversial practice is to be published in the Autumn and will be presented to the Dail in the coming months
www.irishmirror.ie
Reposted by Aoife Gallagher
lokideburca.bsky.social
"Visitors stage anti-migrant march in Galway"

Other journalists should take notes on reporting from Maxim Kelly.

www.advertiser.ie/galway/artic...
Excerpt from the article:
"The anti-immigrant activists also carried a flag of Jesus of Nazareth – possibly history’s most famous refugee - and Welsh-born immigrant, St Patrick, much to the mirth of onlookers, who posted dozens of bemused videos on Galwegian social media channels regarding the marchers’ misspelled ‘Galimh’ banner. United Irishmen, crowned harps, ‘Erin go bragh’ and Sacred Heart flags were also flown by marchers, who played songs by lifelong socialist, Luke Kelly, amplified through loudhailers. One woman was dressed up as Anglo-Irish nationalist and socialist revolutionary, Constance Markievicz."
aoifegall.bsky.social
As we say in the piece, this cycle of online incitement resulting in offline violence is becoming alarmingly familiar and almost predictable for people who monitor online extremist groups. Social media platforms need to be held accountable for failing at the basics time and time again.
aoifegall.bsky.social
Research from us looking at how social media platforms once again failed to take action on content inciting violence in Northern Ireland last week
isdglobal.org
After 2 Romanian teenagers were charged with an attack on a teenage girl in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, social media platforms were at the heart of a coordinated campaign of anti-migrant violence. Read ISD's analysis of an increasing pattern of online mobilisation translating into offline violence.
“Get them out, keep them out”: How social media fuelled violent attacks against migrants in Northern Ireland
After two Romanian teens were charged in an attack on a girl in Ireland, online hate fueled violence in Northern Ireland—the latest in a wider trend where platform failures lead to real-world harm.
www.isdglobal.org
Reposted by Aoife Gallagher
isdglobal.org
A rise in violent attacks—from US school shootings to stabbings in Sweden—resembles terrorism or extremist violence, but it isn’t actually driven by any ideology. ISD’s new Investigation explores the rise of nihilistic violence and the online communities fueling it. www.isdglobal.org/digital_disp...
Terror without ideology? The rise of nihilistic violence – An ISD Investigation
ISD examines how online nihilistic communities inspire violence and challenge terrorism frameworks built around ideological threats.
www.isdglobal.org
aoifegall.bsky.social
Worth reminding people that our 2023 landscape mapping of the Irish mis/disinfo ecosystem found that Gript is (by far) the outlet of choice for conspiracy theorists, racists and science deniers. Do you think this is because they uphold the standards & ethics of journalism? (Spoiler:it is not)
Table showing most shared media organisations per topic within the Irish mis- and disinformation ecosystem with Gript garnering more than double the shares than the next leading outlet (Irish Times)
Reposted by Aoife Gallagher
markcoughlan.bsky.social
A survey-anyone site ranks cities.

A gambling site uses that output directly in a press release.

Media pick up the release, run headlines like 'Dublin among most dangerous cities in Europe.'

Twitter users add their spice - it ends up in the White House.

2025 infocycle.
www.rte.ie/news/primeti...
McGregor's 'dangerous Dublin' claim traces to gambling site list
Conor McGregor appears to have based one of the key views he expressed during his St Patrick's Day White House visit on a ranking of European cities published by an online gambling company.
www.rte.ie
Reposted by Aoife Gallagher
joegalvin.bsky.social
A worthwhile reminder that the far right does not need political support to cause damage. Campaigns of harassment, intimidation and violence will continue to take place long after the dust from this election has settled.
Reposted by Aoife Gallagher
Reposted by Aoife Gallagher
shamimmalekmian.bsky.social
The lesson from the election should not be ignoring the threat of extremism because it's still widely unpopular but to continue to fight for unity in our communities to minimise it even further. Though, I'm not holding my breath for op-ed writers to see it that way.
Reposted by Aoife Gallagher
isdglobal.org
With rhetoric mirroring the US “Stop the Steal” movement, claims of election fraud in Ireland’s local & European elections gained millions of views. ISD’s new report analyses the trends and how they may affect Ireland’s upcoming general election. ow.ly/Nc0c50UfOiv
Analysing Claims of Electoral Interference During the Irish Local and European Elections
False claims of election interference in Ireland’s June elections failed to gain traction, but November’s general election may be a new opportunity for far-right activists.
ow.ly
Reposted by Aoife Gallagher
Reposted by Aoife Gallagher
lisehand.bsky.social
With so many far-right candidates running, ‘rigged election’ conspiracy theories v. likely (eg. ‘illegals’ voting illegally; missing ballot boxes at counts)
Crucial for media to find & rebut claims as lies *before* they go viral
• robustly
• concisely
• swiftly
#GE24