Paul Hosford: Far right play distorted Covid tune

The Covid-19 pandemic has been an open goal for those who peddle conspiracy theories and misinformation - with language borrowed from American right-wing online communities like QAnon - to propagate racism and targeted abuse of high-profile political figures, writes Paul Hosford

President Higgins was personally targeted by crowds at last Saturday’s lockdown protests in Dublin, with chants about him led by the march’s leaders. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The office of President in Ireland is, we are often reminded, above the body politic.

Limited in their scope and powers, the President is a counterweight, a failsafe and an ambassador. But the pandemic has, in a very small corner of Ireland, changed all of that.