Gardaí investigate motive behind email threats to Carlow schools

The Garda Special Detective Unit will investigate where the email came from and will be in contact with US agencies

Senior officers are describing the incident as 'very strange' as there were no obvious signs of the emails being a genuine terrorist-motivated incident or a politically-motivated one. File picture

Gardaí believe emails threatening bomb attacks or mass shootings at 20 schools in Carlow were routed through the US.

Senior officers are describing the incident as “very strange” as there were no obvious signs of the emails being a genuine terrorist-motivated incident or a politically-motivated one.

Nor are there any signs of it being part of a cyber-related attack — although local gardaí did warn schools not to click on any link or attachment if there was a follow-on email ransom demand.

Gardaí are likely to investigate if the emails are some elaborate prank or initiation test given to an individual by an online network.

There are currently no signs to suggest the emails are part of a hybrid attack by a hostile state. With Ireland's EU presidency starting in July, sources said all possibilities will be examined.

The Garda Special Detective Unit (SDU) — which investigates terrorist, and other, threats to the State — will investigate where the email came from and will be in contact with US agencies.

Security sources said that while the IP (internet) address was based in the US and could be masked or redirected, the American line of inquiry would be followed.

The SDU will also check if agencies in Europe have recorded similar incidents.

On Wednesday evening, Garda HQ issued a statement: “20 primary schools in Co. Carlow received a threatening email this morning, Wednesday, May 27, just after 7am. As a result, a garda investigation team was established in Carlow Garda Station.” 

It said gardaí were in touch with all affected schools during the day.

“While some schools have made the decision to close, reopening is a matter for each school Board of Management,” it said.

The threatening email is believed to have been routed through another country, and the credibility of the message is still being investigated. There was no advance warning.

Gardaí are liaising with the Department of Education.

The statement said: “High visibility patrols have been in place throughout the day and indeed for coming days in the environs of all 42 primary schools in Co Carlow.” 

It is understood that the emails said there were bombs in the school and were going to be set off, or that there would be a mass shooting with images of guns attached.

But there was no request for financial payment or any other request to prevent this from happening.

One security source said: “Why 20 schools across Carlow? It wasn’t schools across Ireland, and it wasn’t one or two schools, as happened previously, but 20 schools in one county. And the emails came from abroad."

In October 2023, schools across Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia were bombarded with hundreds of email bomb threats, sent by a server within the EU, but security services suspected a hostile state. 

In May and September 2024, hundreds of schools in Slovakia were repeatedly targeted by bomb threats sent via email. Many emails were traced to addresses hosted on Russian domains.

• Cormac O'Keefe is Security Correspondent.