Several prominent Irish and European media organizations faced disruption on Friday morning after receiving hoax bomb threats by email, prompting evacuations and security searches.
Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ, the Irish Independent newspaper, and Dublin radio station NewstalkFM were among those affected. Armed Irish police, known as gardaí, were called to RTÉ’s Donnybrook headquarters in Dublin to conduct a search after senior staff reported the threat. Staff at the other two outlets also left their buildings for a period before being allowed to return.
Threats described as hoaxes
The Irish government characterized the warnings as hoaxes and stated that authorities were working to identify those responsible. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the situation was “worrying” and that his government’s immediate priority was public safety. He noted that the previous day had seen what appeared to be coordinated efforts to disrupt air travel, referring to false bomb warnings that affected 21 flights across Europe on Thursday, including Ryanair and Aer Lingus planes.
Martin told RTÉ that it was not yet clear whether the threats came from individuals or amounted to a coordinated attack. He said gardaí, the defence forces, and cyber and aviation authorities were working alongside European counterparts to establish who was behind the warnings. He added that the events demonstrated how easily normal societal operations could be disrupted through unconventional tactics intended to cause fear and anxiety.
Tánaiste Simon Harris described the situation as “very serious and evolving,” pointing to the airline scares of recent days. Speaking to Cork 96FM, he said it was fair to say that responsibility had not yet been established, and that Irish authorities and cyber experts would liaise with European partners as appropriate.
Broadcasters respond
RTÉ presenter Sarah McInerney was on air when the threat arrived. She said an email with the subject line “Message to the West” was sent to the newsroom at 08:33, warning that a bomb would detonate within 45 minutes. The newsroom informed management, who contacted gardaí, and after discussion it was decided that evacuation was the safer course even though the threat was likely false. RTÉ kept Radio 1 broadcasting from a vehicle near its headquarters.
NewstalkFM presenter Claire Byrne told listeners that staff had been advised to leave the building after receiving a message, and that gardaí had since confirmed the warning was a hoax and allowed them to return. The station’s parent company, Bauer Media, said on social media that its offices were evacuated following a hoax bomb threat, and that everyone was safe and back on air as normal.
Virgin Media Ireland, which also received a security threat email that was widely circulated to multiple European media platforms, said it followed established security protocols and remained on air throughout without evacuating.
European outlets targeted
Security threats were also sent to several media outlets across Europe on Friday, including UK broadcaster Sky. Sky confirmed it had received a security threat hours after RTÉ’s evacuation, stating that it had carried out a security assessment and reported the matter to the relevant authorities. The broadcaster, owned by Comcast, said the safety and security of its colleagues was its primary concern and that it was working closely with authorities to ensure people and operations remained secure.
Gardaí said they were aware of a threat made against media organizations in Ireland and Europe, and that they were liaising with the affected Irish outlets. An investigation into the threats is under way.
