Anti-immigration activist Derek Blighe has appeal against public order conviction allowed

Mr Blighe had previously objected to a contribution to Irish Refugee Council and a migrant rights charity on religious grounds but agreed payment of €500 to Irish Red Cross

Derek Blighe had, according to the evidence of Inspector Jason Wallace at Fermoy District Court, engaged in threatening and abusive behaviour during an incident at Abbeyville House, Fermoy, on December 22, 2023. File picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Anti-immigration activist Derek Blighe had his appeal against a public order conviction allowed on Tuesday on payment of €500 to the Irish Red Cross.

He was convicted originally at Fermoy District Court following his failure to make a €350 contribution to the Irish Refugee Council.

In March, when the matter came up at Cork Circuit Appeals Court, his then barrister Alan O’Dwyer said: “It is purely a religious matter.” 

He explained Mr Blighe’s difficulty was with the position taken by the Irish Refugee Council on the repeal of the 8th amendment to the Irish Constitution in relation to abortion.

Judge Helen Boyle adjourned the appeal until Tuesday for the appellant to pay €500 to Nasc, the organisation that advises migrants and refugees on their rights. And Mr O’Dwyer said the appellant would make this contribution.

However, when the appeal was mentioned on Tuesday, Mr Blighe, who represented himself in court, said paying this contribution to NASC was against his faith because they had taken the same position on the abortion amendment.

Judge Boyle let the matter stand at 11.30am and said she would return to the case later.

When the case was called again at about 4pm, Judge Boyle asked Mr Blighe if he had the €500 in court. He said he had. The judge then directed him to hand it over to An Garda Síochána, which he did.

Judge Boyle said: “I am going to direct the sergeant to pay it to the Red Cross and thereafter to allow the appeal.” 

Mr Blighe said: “Thank you, your honour.” 

44-year-old Derek Blighe, Croughevoe, Mitchelstown, Co Cork, had, according to the evidence of Inspector Jason Wallace at Fermoy District Court, engaged in threatening and abusive behaviour during an incident at Abbeyville House, Fermoy, on December 22, 2023. 

Witness Christopher Gomez said he was duty manager at Abbeyville when it was being prepared as accommodation for migrants, and a protest by people opposing its use for this purpose had been taking place for several months outside.

Mr Gomez said Mr Blighe obstructed an oil delivery to the premises and told him: “You are a guest in this country. Shame on you. You should be ashamed. You will go down in the history books, you will go down in the sewers of Irish history. Go back to where you came from.” 

Video of these comments was live-streamed. As an Irish citizen for 20 years, Mr Gomez said he had “never experienced anything like this before”.