‘Hang traitors’ – Well-known radio host highlights appearance of latest sinister graffiti

The Waterford Radio jock posted images of the graffiti sprayed on walls, “along with (the) white supremacist symbol in Waterford city this evening”.

He added that this was “not far from where the ‘Kill Shiners’ one was sprayed”.

In an update Tiernan said the graffiti in Waterford is “expected to be removed today” but this is just the latest similar attack aimed at Sinn Fein and other politicians.

Yesterday, gardaí were alerted to hateful slogans that appeared next to Mary Lou McDonald’s Sinn Féin constituency office in Dublin.

"Mary Lou is a traitor," said one of pieces of yellow graffiti daubed on the site of the old Cabra House pub at Fassaugh Avenue in Cabra.

Other prominent messages, believed to have been spray-painted on Sunday night, read: "Sinn Féin is scum" and "Irish Lives Matter".

Ms McDonald has increasingly been targeted by far-right protesters. When the Dáil came back from its last summer recess, she was one of those threatened by a mock gallows.

Gardaí then wrote to her to see whether she wanted to press charges, but no prosecution took place.

In 2023, the Sinn Féin leader was confronted by apparent anti-immigration protesters after attending a meeting in her Dublin Central constituency.

It was one of two incidents that evening where opposition politicians were targeted by protesters, with an attempt also made to disrupt a People Before Profit (PBP) meeting in Clondalkin. One of its TDs, Paul Murphy, accused “far-right agitators” of being behind both incidents.

Ms McDonald was also targeted by protesters in East Wall. A video on social media showed some among a crowd outside a community centre asking Ms McDonald about “illegal aliens” and shouting “traitor” as she exited and made her way to a car.

Other left-wing TDs have also been attacked and harassed by the far right, in particular Mr Murphy.

But the "traitor label" appears particularly aimed at Sinn Féin for political purposes. Another effort in the latest sloganeering attack appeared to say "Ireland is Ful" (sic).

In April, a death threat to People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy was spray-painted on a wall only minutes away from his home.

The words “Paul Murphy RIP” ­ appeared on a wall near his house in Tallaght.

The graffiti was later removed as Mr Murphy said he will be contacting gardaí.

He spoke of his frustration that people on the far right intimidate politicians with abuse and “threatening behaviour”.

“It is frustrating that now when we’re going out canvassing, we know this can happen, when we’re doing a public meeting, or having a protest, that this can happen,” he said.

“It is frustrating. But if we decided to stop doing those things then basically you’re allowing them to win.”

Protests outside the homes of politicians are becoming more common, with a protest outside Equality ­Minister Roderic O’Gorman’s home recently branded “disgraceful” and “chilling” due to the presence of masked men.

Gardaí are currently investigating a number of threats to the security of Justice Minister Helen McEntee, one of which prompted the evacuation of Ms McEntee’s home.

Politicians both in the Government and opposition are increasingly being targeted near their homes and in ­public, with video footage circulating on social media in recent days of insults hurled at former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar as he sat outside a shop with a friend.

Mr Murphy has previously had protesters outside his home, where he lives with his young family.

“Both of these kind of threats, but also the camera in your face when you’re out doing something… it aims to discourage people from being out and about, engaging in democracy, in all its different forms,” he said.

Mr Murphy said there is “no question” that a “campaign of terror” is being waged “by certain racist, far-right elements that is against public representatives that they disagree with”.

“Crucially it’s also against migrants, those who are standing up for refugees, LGBTQ+ people. It isn’t just public representatives who are in the front line of this,” he said, adding there is a “big majority” in Irish society who do not like to see politicians threatened, buildings burned down or migrants attacked.

“I think that big majority needs to express itself – that’s what will push these people back, they will realise that they’re a very small minority,” he said.

His party colleague Dublin South Central TD Bríd Smith, who is running to be an MEP in Dublin, also condemned the graffiti outside of his house.

“Paul and People Before Profit will not be intimidated by the far right,” she said. “We will redouble our efforts to mobilise broad campaigns against the far right.

“We will also continue to oppose the neoliberal housing, health and care policies of this and successive governments that do so much damage to our society and create the fear and despair that feeds the far right. Far-right agitators are intimidating people at their homes.

“It should be clear to everyone by now that we’re facing a sustained and escalating far-right terror campaign.”