Ireland media shutdown after bomb threats force evacuations

Ireland’s major media organizations faced an unprecedented shutdown on Friday after coordinated bomb threats forced broadcasters and publishers nationwide off the air. Staff at RTÉ, Newstalk, and Mediahuis, the company behind the Irish Independent, were evacuated to allow gardaí to search the buildings. These disruptions came just days after similar threats targeted airlines, including an Aer Lingus Dublin-Rome flight diverted on Thursday.

At RTÉ’s Montrose campus in Donnybrook, a warning email claimed a device would detonate 45 minutes after it was received. Presenters such as Claire Byrne interrupted live broadcasts to announce evacuations, and RTÉ Radio 1 switched to a loop of music and a pre-recorded safety message. The network’s flagship morning program, Today with David McCullagh, began nearly an hour behind schedule once staff returned to the studio.

Niamh Lyons, a producer on the show, described the morning as “incredibly shocking,” noting that media companies across Ireland and the UK had received identical threats. She reported that gardaí, accompanied by sniffer dogs, had secured the premises. The email purported to come from the same group behind the airline threats, which affected 27 flights across Europe on Thursday.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin stated that the government was treating the incidents with the highest priority, coordinating with European security agencies to identify those responsible. His remarks followed confirmation that Dublin would host two major EU gatherings next week, including a summit of European leaders at the Convention Centre. The gardaí have said the security operation around the meetings would be “bigger than a US presidential visit.”

In a statement, gardaí confirmed they are investigating the threats, liaising with Irish media organizations. RTÉ stated, “RTÉ, along with a range of media organisations, received a threat this morning. In line with our security and safety protocols, the campus has been evacuated and some services are affected. Gardaí are on site in Donnybrook.”