Hackers and fake accounts thwarted in lead-up to elections

It is thought that the suspect accounts were most likely linked to the Russian state or were operated by groups backed by the country’s intelligence services

A spokesman said the impact of the attacks was 'minimal', adding that this was mainly because the websites were prepared for potential attacks.

Irish security services identified fake online accounts linked to the Russian state that were generating “anti-government” messages in the run up to the election, the Irish Examiner understands.

Garda HQ is believed to have engaged with the social media providers about the accounts and some of them were suspended.