A report from the Hope and Courage Collective, an organisation focused on strengthening community resilience against increasing far-right hate and disinformation, has identified a growing divide between public opinion and political discourse.
The study, titled ‘Ireland in Focus 2025, Mind the Gap’, indicates that a relatively small group of far-right figures exerts a disproportionate influence on public debate through online amplification, visible demonstrations, and repeated messaging, reports RTE.
It states that public attitudes are becoming more inclusive over time, but warns that political rhetoric risks legitimising scapegoating, adding that while the far-right lacks widespread public backing, it “is shaping the conversation”.
The report found that several communities in Ireland have been systematically targeted by far-right and anti-immigrant hostility, with asylum seekers, ethnic minorities, and migrants among those most frequently affected, reports RTE.
LGBTI+ communities have also faced hostility, contributing to an environment where violence is “normalised”, while women are often central to far-right narratives that claim to be “protecting women”.
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It also notes that workers and public services have been “drawn into the line of fire”, reports RTE.
Public representatives threatened
Civil society groups are increasingly portrayed as threats, while politicians and public representatives have faced rising levels of harassment and intimidation.
The report highlights a strategic shift in messaging from system-focused slogans like “Ireland is full” to more identity-driven narratives such as “Irish Lives Matter”, reports RTE.
It says newer grievance-based narratives are being used to maintain mobilisation despite the absence of broad public support.
Symbolic acts, including the use of national symbols such as the Irish tricolour, have been employed to create a perception of momentum that exceeds the movement’s actual size, reports RTE.
The findings are based on nationally representative survey data and real-time analysis.
Year-on-year data tracking public sentiment between 2024 and 2025 shows that 66% of respondents believe immigrants contribute positively to Irish culture and society, an increase of two percentage points from 64% in 2024, reports RTE.
Meanwhile, 79% think working-class people face challenges due to systemic inequality, up from 77% the previous year.
The proportion of people who believe wealthy individuals succeed because they had greater opportunities has risen from 63% in 2024 to 69% in 2025, reports RTE.
Support for the right of transgender people to live freely has increased by five percentage points from 70% in 2024.
Additionally, 80% agree that Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities encounter greater barriers to success than white people, up five percentage points from 75% in 2024, reports RTE.
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