Ireland National Broadcaster Evacuated Following Serious Dublin Bomb Threat
Security forces evacuated the RTÉ headquarters in Dublin after an email bomb threat. Taoiseach Micheál Martin vows to hold those responsible accountable.
POLICY WIRE — Dublin, Ireland — Ireland’s national broadcaster was forced to halt broadcasting operations on Friday morning following a credible bomb threat directed at its primary headquarters.
Employees at the Montrose campus were ordered to evacuate the building immediately, causing significant disruptions to both television and radio services.
The morning program, Today With David McCullagh, which was scheduled to air at 9 a.m., was instead replaced by a loop of pre-recorded music.
An automated audio message expressed apologies for the unexpected change to the schedule, noting that staff were working urgently to restore normal broadcasting.
Host David McCullagh informed the audience that the station had received an email early Friday morning claiming a device would explode on-site within 45 minutes.
While the show has since returned to the air, McCullagh is currently broadcasting from a mobile vehicle as police conduct thorough sweeps of the studios and newsrooms.
McCullagh emphasized that the threat was being treated with the utmost gravity, stating that any employer must respond seriously to a 45-minute explosive warning.
Reports indicate that other media outlets in the region received similar threats during the same morning period.
The incident at RTÉ follows a wave of security concerns involving the aviation industry, including threats against an Aer Lingus flight departing from Dublin in the preceding days.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin voiced deep concern over the situation, affirming that the government is taking the matter very seriously indeed.
Martin noted that there appeared to be coordinated attempts to disrupt travel and confirmed that the garda, defense forces, and aviation authorities are collaborating with European counterparts to identify the perpetrators.
The Prime Minister further stated that the primary priority remains the safety of the public and that experts are working to hold those responsible accountable.
These security alerts arrive as Ireland prepares to host two major European summits as part of its six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union.
In an official statement, RTÉ confirmed that they and several other media organizations received the threat, leading to the campus evacuation and the continued presence of gardí in Donnybrook.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)em>
