Garda's address posted online after he policed Whitegate fuel protest

GRA: Online posts identified gardaí — 'who they were, where they were stationed, where they're living, where their kids go to school' 

Ahead of the Garda Representative Association annual conference, GRA officials including deputy general secretary James Morrisroe spoke out about threats to gardaí during the fuel protests. Picture: Conor Ó Mearáin

Gardaí and their families are being left fearful in their own homes after officers’ addresses were shared online following the recent fuel protests.

One garda said he had his address repeatedly shared online after he policed the blockade at Whitegate oil refinery in East Cork earlier this month.

He is stationed in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, and his address was repeatedly shared during the week of the protest and in the following days. 

Ahead of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) annual conference which gets under way in Mayo tomorrow, general secretary Ronan Slevin said: “We have members in the south east that were identified online — identified who they were, where they were stationed, where they're living, where their kids go to school. You can't get much more detailed than that.

“It happened on repeated days over the protest and the week after.

Gardaí threatened, their children identified

“It's very hard to have confidence in your policing when you realise any actions you take in line with ensuring the safety of the public and the State, that your family are going to be threatened, your children identified."

Mr Slevin said the GRA wants any individuals who threaten gardaí to be pursued in the courts.

GRA vice president Niall Hodgins called for stronger laws to protect gardaí from having their private information exposed online.

People are using online tools to attack gardaí “for their own self-indulgent views”, he claimed.

“The identities of our members are routed online and circulated," Mr Hodgins said.

“They go viral. But it goes further than that. 

It goes to identifying members' private stuff with regards to their families, where they may live. And indeed, it goes as far as to identify who their children may be.

“To target any public servant in this manner is completely outrageous. And we need tools to deal with this phenomenon. 

"Media manipulation has gone on for many, many, many, many years.

“And we would feel that our legislators may be behind in this particular area.”

Gardaí and their families now don't feel safe in their own homes, said Mr Hodgins.

An “exceptional event” was declared by the Garda Commissioner to police the recent fuel protests.

Gardai and protesters at Ireland's only oil refinery at Whitegate Co Cork during the recent fuel protests. File picture: Larry Cummins

“Guards had to drop everything and come in,” said GRA deputy general secretary James Morrisroe.

“Our members had to police that at short notice, drop everything. Rest days and annual leave were cancelled."

Gardaí were bused around the country and "worked 24 hours in a row without meal breaks", he said.

Multiple extraordinary events will be called during Ireland's presidency of the EU over the second half of 2026 and the GRA is concerned about insufficient resources.

“We need a national planning office for events like this and we don't have one,” said Mr Morrisroe.

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