Independent Ireland | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Michael Collins |
| General Secretary | Richard O'Donoghue |
| Chairperson | Ken O'Flynn[1] |
| Founders |
|
| Founded | 10 November 2023 |
| Ideology | Right-wing populism[2] |
| Political position | Right-wing |
| European affiliation | European Democratic Party[3][4][5] |
| European Parliament group | Renew Europe |
| Slogan | Forward Together |
| Dáil Éireann | 4 / 174 |
| European Parliament | 1 / 14 |
| Local government | 24 / 949 |
| Website | |
| independentireland.ie | |
Independent Ireland is aright-wing[10] political party in Ireland. It was formed on 8 November 2023 by formerindependentTDsMichael Collins andRichard O'Donoghue.[11][12] Their elected representation was subsequently boosted by the joining of TDMichael Fitzmaurice, formerly an independent, and by the success ofCiaran Mullooly in winning a seat for the party in the European Parliament in the 2024 elections.
Collins has said that the party seeks to provide "a comfortable alternative" to voters unhappy withFianna Fáil andFine Gael but unwilling to vote forSinn Féin.[13]
Collins is the leader of the party inDáil Éireann, while O'Donoghue serves as general secretary. Following the formation of the party in 2023, O'Donoghue told theIrish Examiner that he and Collins hoped to encourage members of the Rural Independents Group in the Dáil to join.[14] Both Collins and O'Donoghue had been members of the Rural Independents Group prior to founding the party.
Michael Fitzmaurice became the party's third TD in February 2024.[15] In the same month, Councillors Shane P. O'Reilly and Declan Geraghty joined the party and announced their intention to contest re-election toCavan County Council andGalway County Council respectively.[16] In March 2024, John O'Donoghue ofLimerick City and County Council,[17] Noel Larkin and Declan Kelly ofGalway City Council, Kenneth O'Flynn ofCork City Council, andNigel Dineen ofRoscommon County Council all announced they would run for Independent Ireland in the2024 local elections.[18][19][20][21]
On 5 April 2024, the party announced that formerRTÉ correspondentCiaran Mullooly would be standing for Independent Ireland in the2024 European Parliament election in theMidlands–North-West constituency.[22][23] In the same month, Councillors Séamus Walsh and Noel Thomas of Galway County Council, Paul Hogan ofWestmeath County Council, and Danny Collins ofCork County Council announced they would run for Independent Ireland in the 2024 local elections.[24][25] On 22 April 2024,Ireland's Classic Hits Radio presenterNiall Boylan announced he would be running for the party in the2024 European Parliament election in theDublin constituency.[26]
On 1 May 2024, the general secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA), Eddie Punch, who earlier in the year said that he would run as an independent candidate at the European election, announced he had joined Independent Ireland and would be running in theSouth constituency.[27] Also in May 2024, John Cassin ofCarlow County Council and Joe Bonner ofMeath County Council announced they would run as Independent Ireland candidates in the 2024 local elections.[28]
In the European election, Independent Ireland's three candidates received 108,685 first-preference votes, coming fourth behind Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Sinn Féin. Ciaran Mullooly was elected in Midlands–North-West, with Niall Boylan coming fifth on the last count in the four-seat Dublin constituency.[29][30] In the local elections, the party ranked seventh in first-preference votes, with 51,562 votes, and elected 23 of its 61 candidates. The party elected six councillors to Galway County Council and four councillors to Cork County Council, and became the third largest party on both councils. Of its thirteen incumbents, eleven were re-elected.
Ciaran Mullooly, Independent Ireland's solemember of theEuropean Parliament, joined the liberalRenew Europeparliamentary group on 3 July.[31][32] Mullooly identifies as acentrist and has distanced himself from the more hardline stances of some party colleagues.[33][34][35] Independent Ireland had previously taken part in a December 2023 conference organised by the right-wingEuropean Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).[36] Mullooly's decision to join Renew, which includesFianna Fáil, attracted significant criticism,[37] with fellow candidate Niall Boylan stating he would have joined the ECR if elected,[38] and conservative commentatorJohn McGuirk arguing that it was a "betrayal" of voters' trust.[citation needed] On 7 July, party chairperson Elaine Mullally resigned her position, claiming Independent Ireland no longer aligned with her values.[1][39] On 10 July, Independent Ireland put out a 2,500-word statement defending the decision, in which leader Michael Collins dismissed as "quite laughable" that, by joining Renew, the party would be "supporting silly stuff like men being allowed to use women's public toilets and that we would be advocating car-free streets".[37]
In January 2025, Independent Ireland formed a technical group in the Dáil withAontú.[40]
Independent Ireland has been widely described asright-wing by journalists and academics.[41] Independent Ireland officeholders have often rejected the "right-wing" label, instead describing the party as "common sense".[42][43] In a July 2024 statement, Independent Ireland characterised itself as "centre-right".[44] The party has also been described as representing rural or farmers' interests.[45][46] Independent Ireland has stated it does not operate a strictparty whip system and allows its members freedom to speak and vote on key issues.[47]
Both Independent Ireland andAontú advocated for a No/No vote in the2024 Irish constitutional referendums.[48][49] Collins has said that he's "against abortion. Full stop."[50] Collins and O'Donoghue were co-sponsors of a 2021 bill that would have required pain relief for foetuses being aborted. The Dáil overwhelmingly defeated the bill.[51] Collins and O'Donoghue have both been alleged to have questioned the efficacy of vaccines againstCOVID-19,[52][53] though both have since stated that they are notanti-vaccine and they have expressed a willingness to take a COVID-19 vaccine.[54][55]
The party is critical of immigration and opposes "open borders", arguing that these are promoted by profiteers at the expense of the taxpayer.[56] The party has pledged to enact planning reform, establish emergency modular housing schemes, and eradicate the issue of families living in emergency accommodations.[56] It aims to reduce the cost of living by freezing and reforming the Carbon Tax. It also wishes to end the Property Tax and abolish the Universal Social Charge for people over the age of 65 to avoid taxation of pensions.[56]
In the33rd Dáil, the party had threeTDs, all of whom were elected asindependents but later switched to Independent Ireland. They wereRichard O'Donoghue (Limerick County),Michael Collins (Cork South-West) andMichael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon–Galway). All three were re-elected in the2024 general election, and they were joined byKenneth O'Flynn, who was elected as an Independent Ireland TD forCork North-Central.
The party has one member of theEuropean Parliament,Ciaran Mullooly, who was elected at the2024 European Parliament election to represent theMidlands–North-West constituency. Mullooly won the fifth and final seat in the constituency on the 21st count.[57]
Independent Ireland contested its firstlocal elections in 2024. Prior to those elections, the party had 13 councillors that had switched to Independent Ireland. Of those 13, eleven were re-elected and a further twelve were elected under the party name, for a total of 23 elected councillors. The party performed well in the elections to theGalway andCork county councils, electing six and four councillors respectively, and becoming the third largest party on each council.[58] In October 2024, it was announced that Sligo councillor, Michael Clarke, had joined the party.[59]
On 23 November 2024, CouncillorPhilip Sutcliffe Snr quit Independent Ireland after controversy arose over Sutcliffe's association withConor McGregor following McGregor being foundliable for assault.[60] Another issue was Sutcliffe's reported interest in meeting criminalGerry "The Monk" Hutch. A general election candidate for Dublin South-Central, Sutcliffe faced criticism from party leadership, who deemed his actions and public statements inconsistent with their commitment to law and order. Richard O'Donoghue stated that Sutcliffe resigned before a second meeting with the party executive, where disciplinary measures were expected to be discussed. While acknowledging Sutcliffe's contributions to boxing, O'Donoghue emphasised that the party could not condone his connections. Sutcliffe has not provided public comment on the matter.[61][62]
| Election | Leader | FPv | % | Seats | % | ± | Dáil | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Michael Collins | 78,276 | 3.6 (#7) | 4 / 174 | 2.3 (#5) |  1[a] | 34th | Opposition 35th government (FF-FG-Indmajority) |
| Election | Seats won | ± | First pref. votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 23 / 949 | 23 | 51,562 | 2.8% |
| Election | Leader | 1st pref Votes | % | Seats | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Michael Collins | 108,685 | 6.23% (#4) | 1 / 14 | New |
Despite attracting significant criticism for effectively throwing his lot in with Fianna Fail after running on a "common sense" platform, Mullooly's party defended his decision in an extraordinary nearly 2,500-word statement issued on Wednesday.
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