A LOCAL CAMPAIGNER who responded to a protest by anti-immigration activist Philip Dwyer by speaking to him in Irish has said it is important that the “irony” of the far-right’s message is pointed out.

However, Darragh Adelaide told The Journal that his overall intention was not to make fun of non-Irish speakers when he chose to respond to Dwyer as Gaeilge. 

A video of the exchange, which took place in Clondalkin last week as anti-immigration protesters clashed with counter-protests, went viral on Friday – with many people praising Adelaide for his handling of the situation.

On Thursday, anti-immigration activists gathered in Clondalkin in the most recent demonstration against emergency accommodation for asylum seekers in the area.

These activists were met with counter-protesters, the group Clondalkin For All, who held signs which read “refugees welcome”. 

In a video recorded by Dwyer, Adelaide – a Clondalkin native and fluent Irish speaker – is singled out by Dwyer when he approaches the group of counter-protesters and asks Adelaide “Do you want to do an interview young man?”

Adelaide responded: “An bhfuil Gaeilge agat?” (Do you speak Irish?)

When Adelaide asked Dwyer, “Cén fáth atá tú anseo?” (Why are you here?), Dwyer responded: “Ní thuigim” (I don’t understand).

Adelaide, 25, continued to speak in Irish to Dwyer, with Dwyer eventually asking him if he was “sent by an NGO”.

One video of the exchange has been viewed almost 1 million times on X (formerly Twitter) so far. 

For @Fattes13 - huge kudos to this Irish lad who schooled the unvetted dog kicking male As Gaeilge.

Come back to me when you can speak in Irish. pic.twitter.com/6P0pNJnGSs

— Dáiligh (@Dailigh) September 29, 2023

In an interview with The Journal this week, Adelaide, who is running in next year’s local elections as a People Before Profit candidate, explained why he thought it was important that the “irony” of the far-right’s message is pointed out. 

In Adelaide’s view, the exchange captured on video highlights how “ridiculous” it is.

“You have this supposed nationalist who is driven by a love of Ireland and is driven enough to harass library workers and asylum seekers, but apparently this love doesn’t extend to the Irish language,” Adelaide said.

“The more important point though, is that it hits the nail on the head of this narrow interpretation of what being Irish is meant to be,” Adelaide added.

Adelaide, who is black, grew up and lives in Clondalkin. He attended a gaelscoil (Irish-speaking school) for both his primary and secondary education. 

“I’m a fluent Irish speaker and there are many people of colour who speak Irish.

We’re here. This is our home.

“So the kind of definition of Irish that’s purely genetic or in terms of heritage, doesn’t really answer any sort of question.

“There’s people in Ireland who’ve lived here their whole lives, who don’t fit that genetic definition of Irish, because it’s ridiculous,” Adelaide said.

He pointed out that Dwyer protested against the integration of refugees in the area, despite not living in Clondalkin.

Adelaide also said that the response from people who live directly around the refugee centre is “amazing”.

“They aren’t buying into it,” he said, of anti-migrant demonstrations at the centre.

“I think that’s why people loved the video, it kind of shows the irony of people on the far-right going into communities and telling the community who is welcome and who isn’t.

“Clondalkin has had refugees for quite a number of years.

They’re members of our community.

“They volunteer in the local Tidy Towns, they go to the Park Runs. People know them, especially the ones who work in the community. These are all very nice people who we would not have any trouble with whatsoever.

“So for the far-right and specifically Dwyer to come into the community and try and direct anger at them is cynical completely,” Adelaide said.

Adelaide describes himself as an activist who got involved in politics in 2019.

It’s his view that people are entitled to be angry and frustrated at the lack of progress on issues like housing but he noted that the far-right are trying to exploit and manipulate this “genuine anger”.

“It’s much easier, I guess, to direct your anger downwards then to try and imagine what a different type of Government looks like,” Adelaide said.