SENATOR RÓNÁN MULLEN said Ireland is “not immune” to violence against politicians following the killing of former UK minister Ann Widdecombe.

Several politicians and TDs attended a mass for Widdecombe today in St Teresa’s Church on Clarendon Street in Dublin city centre.

The 78-year-old former MP and MEP was found dead at her home in Devon on Thursday, in what detectives have described as a “targeted attack”.

Counter-terrorism police in the UK are probing whether the 28-year-old suspect held over Widdecombe’s killing was motivated by left-wing extremism and planning further violence against other high-profile figures.

Widdecombe is the third British politician to have been killed in the past decade, following the deaths of sitting MPs Jo Cox in 2016 and David Amess in 2021.

Speaking to The Journal before today’s mass, Mullen said “we need to get out ahead of the problem” of violence against politicians.

He said that although it is too early to be sure, it is starting to look like Widdecombe “died for her political or moral beliefs”.

“People need to be able to communicate their ideas, whether they’re elected or not, and to be safe in doing so,” he said.

St Teresa's Church on Clarendon Street in Dublin city centre. The Journal The Journal

‘We have to be careful’

The Independent Senator said “all of us need to be careful in our utterances” because some people may see “hateful” things being said, online and offline, and take that as permission or encouragement to act violently.

“If that’s what we’re seeing in the case of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, and now Ann Widdecombe, then we’re not immune from those trends and tendencies,” he said.

“We have to be careful. We’ve got to build up our democracy, and we’ve got to build up the old Voltaire idea: ‘I may disagree with what you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it’.”

Mullen, who was one of the organisers of today’s mass, remembered Widdecombe as “forthright and honest and a person of integrity.” On Mullen’s invitation, Widdecombe came to Leinster House a decade ago as a guest at a pro-life campaign dinner.

Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan, who also attended today’s mass, told The Journal that violence against politicians “can be concerning”.

“Anne had interesting views. I didn’t agree with many of them, but that’s the beauty about a democracy. People have their long-held views, and you respect people’s views, and that’s what politics is about,” he said.

“I think it can be worrying sometimes, but I have great faith in the Irish people, and not just Irish people. There are people across the world, and good will always overcome evil.”

The TD said he met Widdecombe on a number of occasions in Westminster.

He said: “She was formidable. She was robust. She was funny. She was a kind woman, and she was a good person. May she rest in peace.”

Speaking to The Journal ahead of today’s mass, Independent TD Noel Grealish said Widdecombe’s death ”shows the way the political system around the world now is changing”.

“Anne was a very outspoken person, very passionate of what she believed in, and I am very saddened to see what happened to her,” he said.

Grealish said that although “you can never say never”, he doubts violence against politicians will occur in Ireland.

“Hopefully that won’t cross the Atlantic to here in Ireland. I hope issues like this don’t happen around the world, that people will see politicians are elected by the people, they go out and do their best to represent the people,” he said.

“At the end of the day, there is a democratic system there where if you don’t agree with the politician, you can vote the politician out. If you do, you can vote the person in, but not resort to violence.”

During today’s mass, Father Vincent O’Hara remembered Widdecombe as a “woman of strong faith”. 

The politicians and diplomats in attendance read the prayers of the faithful, and Mullen paid tribute to Widdecombe at the end of the mass.

He said: “Her style was formidable, forthright, fierce, but also fun.”

“She had a great turn of phrase and sense of humour, but was also very humble,” he added.

Mullen said Widdecombe was a great friend of the late MP David Amess, and delivered the eulogy at his funeral.