Terrorism in Ireland: Decline in dissident republican arrests but jihadist activity on the increase

Police specialist teams supported by heavily armed TSG units conduct searches in Belfast after the murder of dissident republican Danny McClean in 2021. However, dissident arrests have declined. Picture: Alan Lewis/Photopress Belfast

Ireland recorded what is thought to be its first right-wing terrorist arrest in 2021, according to a Europol report on terrorism.

The report underlines the changing profile of terrorism-related arrests in Ireland over the last 10 years, with a significant reduction in arrests of dissident republicans and the emergence of arrests for ‘jihadist’ terrorism in recent years.

Europol’s Terrorism Situation and Trend Report 2022 shows a single arrest for right-wing extremism in Ireland last year, in what is believed to have been the first in the country.

There were 14 terrorism arrests in Ireland in 2021:

• Seven for nationalist terrorism;
• Four for jihadist terrorism;
• One for right wing terrorism.

The latter case refers to the arrest of a man for firearms offences in 2021.

The report said that while the man’s motivations are not yet clear, it said he was known to have been sympathetic with right-wing extremism.

It also said he had an interest in previous atrocities committed by right-ring extremists.

The man has not yet been linked to any particular group.

Jihadist terrorism is defined as being linked to a radical, violent form of Islamic extremism and that the majority of groups or individuals are linked to the al-Qaeda network and the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).

Figures from Europol highlight the extent to which the profile of terrorism arrests has changed in Ireland:

• In 2012, there were 66 arrests, 41 in 2013 and 41 again in 2015 - all nationalist-related;
• In 2016, the number of nationalist arrests dropped to 17, with a jihadist arrest recorded that year;
• In 2017, there were 11 arrests, three jihadist and eight non-specified (but thought to be dissident);
• In 2018, there were no figures provided and, in 2019, just five arrests were recorded, all jihadist;
• In 2020, there were 24 arrests, 18 of them jihadist (17 of these for financing jihadist terrorism) and just six nationalist Across the EU, the report shows that the number of jihadist arrests have dropped from 436 in 2019 to 260 in 2020, while the number of right-wing arrests have trebled, from 21 to 64.

Nationalist arrests have fallen, from 48 to 19.

In relation to right-wing extremism, the report said the ages of suspects continued to decrease, potentially influenced by more time online during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Spreading propaganda

"Gaming platforms and gaming communication services popular among young people and children are used for spreading right-wing terrorist and extremist propaganda," it said.

It said that while the right-wing scene used to concentrate mostly on hierarchically organised neo-Nazi groups, loose international networks have emerged online.

It said these consist mostly of very young men “with the potential for lone actor attacks”.

It said international online connections and networks, especially the ones with USA contacts, “play a strong role in spreading propaganda in the EU”.

The report said mental health issues were of “growing concern” among law enforcement agencies” as they may make some individuals more susceptible to right-wing extremist ideas.

This has been enforced by the Covid-19 pandemic measures, such as school closures and prolonged social isolation.

It said violent anti-Covid-19 and anti-government extremism, which was not affiliated with traditional violent extremist and terrorist activities, emerged in some Member States and non-EU countries.

“Such forms of violent extremism materialised in open threats, hateful messages spread online and, in some cases, the use of violence,” it said. 

“Targets included politicians, government representatives, police, health authorities involved in the management of the crisis, or personnel from test and vaccination centres.” 

New IRA

It said the New IRA (nIRA) continued to be the “dominant group” and remained engaged in attack planning, while the threat from CIRA was largely localised to small geographic areas of Northern Ireland.

It said both groups rely on a support network of members active in Northern Ireland and the Republic. 

The report said disruption by law enforcement and the Covid-19 restrictions has had “a suppressive effect” and that the number of attacks in Northern Ireland continued to drop, with two failed attacks on national security targets reported in 2021.

It said, in mid-March 2021, a shooting was directed at Enniskillen police station using a homemade firearm.

It said no casualties were reported and the CIRA was allegedly involved in this incident.

The following month, an IED was deployed targeting an off duty police officer in Dungiven, Co Derry, but that it failed to function. It said the attack was believed to have been conducted by the nIRA.

The report said:

Both the nIRA and CIRA maintained the intent and capabilities to conduct attacks, with police, military and prison officers as the preferred targets.

“The weapons generally used by DR groups included firearms or small IEDs (such as pipe bombs), but they have also deployed larger and potentially more destructive devices such as vehicle borne IEDs and explosive projectiles.” 

It said both dissidents and loyalist groups continued “to engage in violence and intimidation against their own communities”.

It said their activities included minor and serious criminality, such as drug trafficking, extortion, fuel laundering and murder.