Cork TD says nobody will prevent him from doing his job after protestors block access to Leinster House

A Cork TD has vowed that no one will prevent him from doing his job after a crowd of protesters temporarily blocked access to Leinster House this afternoon.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Sinn Féin TD for Cork South Central, was one of a number of Oireachtas members who were harassed by the protesters as the Dáil returned today after the summer recess.

Mr Ó Laoghaire, was returning to Leinster House from a meeting, when he was prevented from entering the Oireachtas complex by the protesters, before being escorted for his own safety down Kildare Street by four uniformed gardaí.

In a brief statement to The Echo, Mr Ó Laoghaire said that, as an elected representative, he would not be intimidated by anybody. 

“I’m elected and very proud to represent the people of my home city, and I go to Dublin every week to do that, and I won’t be deterred by anyone in doing that,” Mr Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said.

Several arrests were made during the day of protests outside the Dáil that also saw demonstrators display a mock gallows, decorated with photographs of high-profile politicians. 

The gallows, which featured an effigy of a man hanging from a noose, was adorned with portraits of politicians including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald.

Images of enterprise minister and Cork TD Simon Coveney, education minister Norma Foley and minister for children Roderic O’Gorman also accompanied the display.

Depictions of opposition TDs including Eoin Ó Broin from Sinn Féin and Solidarity-People Before Profit deputies Paul Murphy and Bríd Smith also featured.

This morning around 200 people had gathered outside Leinster House on Kildare Street, where the main entrance was fenced off by gardaí, as part of what has become a traditional day of protest for the return of the Dáil session.

Far-right protesters shouted various chants against transgender rights, migration and planned hate speech laws.

Politicians and journalists entering the Leinster House premises were called “traitors” by the gathered crowd.

Demonstrators held signs featuring slogans such as “Irish lives matter” and “Ballybrack says no”.

The protesters regularly chanted: “You’ll never beat the Irish.” 

The nearby National Library of Ireland shut as a result of the protest.

Later today, protesters moved round to the other entrance to the Dáil on Merrion Street.

Their numbers had reduced to below 100 at this stage.

They attempted to form human chains at the entrance to prevent people leaving.

At one point several politicians’ cars were trapped inside the grounds before gardaí moved to clear a path for them to exit.