“WE ARE GOING to put a gun to the government’s head and there are going to be major protests,” said James Geoghegan – the man who has emerged as one of the fuel price protest leaders – to his TikTok followers on 29 March.
The video had over 8,800 likes, nearly 600 comments and 1,000 bookmarks.
On Thursday, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan suggested that those partaking in blockages and protests have been “manipulated” by outside agitators like far-right British figure Tommy Robinson.
Social media and the messages inside WhatsApp groups, however, strongly suggest that this is not the case – and point towards grassroots organising, including in-person meetings and online communication.
While far-right actors have attempted to amplify the messaging of those organising the protests, they have been met with a mixed reception.
The Journal has seen those attempting to pivot the conversation to immigration being removed from organising WhatsApp groups in multiple cases, and one farmer very firmly telling anti-immigration agitator Philip Dwyer that the protests were “about fuel” when he showed up on O’Connell Street on Tuesday.
Protesters have demanded that the government meet with them, but senior politicians have been firm in saying that it will only speak with representative bodies such as the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) and the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) – but neither of those groups has been involved in organising the demonstrations.
Geoghegan, a Westmeath businessman who has an active TikTok account, is now firmly one of the faces of the movement.
Last month, following a meeting that he said was attended by around 400 people in the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise, he issued a warning: “If you are a TD or senator… mark my words… they are ready to park up their trucks in the middle of roads”.
He said that a committee had been formed with 3–4 representatives from different impacted sectors, which had plans to write to the government to demand a freeze in carbon tax, among other measures to bring the price of fuel down.
On 1 April a newly formed group called the Irish Haulage Farming Construction Contractors Amalgamation (IHFCCA) wrote to TDs, stating their demands and asking for a meeting with the Taoiseach.
After some confusion late on Thursday, a government spokesperson confirmed a planned meeting on Friday will be with “official representative bodies”.
Geoghegan told RTÉ’s Prime Time that following a “breakthrough” in talks last night, representatives from the protest would also be in attendance. Sources have indicated that it is up to the representative groups who they choose to bring to the meeting.
The main social media account advertising the times and meeting points over the last three days has been the ‘Irish People Against Fuel Prices’ Facebook page.
The account says it is run by: “A group of Professional Drivers, Hauliers, Farmers, Bus Operators, Taxis & Plant Operators”.
Facebook details show that an advertisement outlining protest locations was paid for by a company called TheTowTruck.ie, which is owned by Maynooth man Sonny Boyd.
Boyd spoke to The Journal on Thursday from the gridlock on the M50. He said that several people are administrators of the page, but that he put his name forward to speak on behalf of the page as he feels that his business “will be gone soon anyway”.
He said that the meeting in Portlaoise was instrumental in the protests being organised, and that the Facebook page endorses John Dallon, James Geoghegan, Sean McNamara and Christopher Duffy being put forward as representatives for protesters.
Boyd added that news of people missing medical appointments is “saddening” and that efforts are being made by protesters to ensure that emergency vehicles and people in emergencies can get through.
However, he emphasised that business owners and workers are being “brought to their knees” and that the government “needs to listen” to people in impacted sectors.
He added that he himself comes from a “poor background” and that he worked hard to do well in life, but he is now seeing that being “taken away” from him.
“It’s more heartbreaking to see it happening to other people around me,” he said.
The Facebook page going back to 2021 called for the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) to be “deregistered” and has in the past said that Ireland needs a “revolution” and new “rules”.
Boyd stressed that the group organising protest times and meeting points is not affiliated with the far right in any capacity, and that the protest “is not about immigration”, but that some people have tried to “hijack it” with other agendas.
WhatsApp groups
Over the last three days a number of “feeder” WhatsApp groups for protesters joining convoys on major roads around the country have become increasingly hectic, with admins throwing people out for posting misinformation.
One voice note that was circulated on Wednesday claimed: “The Irish government fella Michael Martin came out and said that he basically won’t be talking to anyone.
“We have jetskis going through the port, they are stopping all ships from coming through… We’re having the port tunnel blocked, we’re blocking all fire engines, ambulances, garda cars, no one’s getting through… tonight we’re closing down every single road in the country.”
However, actual truckers, agricultural contractors and other people taking part in the protests are suggesting ways to escalate the protest in the groups.
One woman proposed: “Local shops saying delivery drivers aren’t doing bread runs tomorrow because they have only fuel for today.. Another few days will really have things crippled” to which another woman replied “few days without bread will do everyone good… once the government gets to see it affects everyone they might finally cop on”.
Others are recommending which roads should be blocked and whether the convoy on the M50 should relocate on Friday due to planned roadworks.
One person in one group asked if protesters should blockade Donald Trump’s Doonbeg hotel, to which someone replied: “He’s got nothing to do with it so no”.
Another person suggested that Micheal Martin’s driveway should be “blocked”.
Many people are also appealing for emergency services to be let through and for hard shoulders to be kept clear.
On Thursday night James Geoghegan returned to TikTok and said that he’d taken a break from protesting and got a good sleep, but that he was back on O’Connell Street with a coffin marked ‘RIP Ireland’, to demonstrate the state the country is in.
He told followers that some of the “sob stories” of people missing crucial medical appointments are “lies”, and that the media were “working for the Government trying to save them”.
Geoghegan continued on to say that the government doesn’t know how “stubborn” the people of rural Ireland are.
One source involved in organising protests said that they believed that delays around the M50 would ease off on Friday, but that Saturday would see a resurgence in the numbers protesting, as many people who have been unable to do so will join.
With reporting by Jane Matthews