Ireland
Fact checker and writer for Logically Facts. Interested in grifts, conspiracy theories, extremist movements, and how they intersect online.
Context A misleading narrative has emerged on social media that foreigners can vote in Irish elections. Malaysian right-wing X (formerly known as Twitter) personality Ian Miles Cheong posted, "You don't need to be Irish to vote in Ireland. Anyone can literally travel there, and claim to be an asylum seeker, to cast a vote.
The policy aims to encourage the revitalization of coastal island communities in Ireland but does not facilitate immigration to the country. Context An article by the UK-based Unity News Network headlined, "Indians offered financial incentives of up to 100k Euros to move to Republic of Ireland'' is being shared on social media.
The Flat Earth is a myth with myths of its own. For one, Christopher Columbus did not set out to prove the Earth was round , as some have been taught. Others believe that acceptance of a flat Earth was universal in ancient times, yet the educated in classical Greece knew we lived on a globe.
When the smiling census enumerator comes to your door every ten years (or, in some countries, five), do you accept your task willingly or balk at the hassle and threat of fines? Are you happy to be counted or suspicious of what the government might be planning on doing with your data?
The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative news outlet, recently published an article about federal funding for harm reduction programs. The article sent shockwaves through the right-wing media sphere. Its headline -"Biden Admin To Fund Crack Pipe Distribution To Advance 'Racial Equity'" - and accompanying claims caused senior Republicans to tweet that Biden is offering "crack pipes for all.
The Death Valley National Park rangers were posing for photos in cold weather jackets as a joke. Context Irish political activist Ben Gilroy shared a screenshot from Ireland AM on Virgin Media One from Tuesday, 18 July 2023, showing park rangers in Death Valley National Park standing next to the park's unofficial thermometer reading 132 F/55 C while wearing cold weather jackets during a segment on recent extreme heat waves.
The Azimuthal Equidistant projection is helpful, but like all 2D maps, it creates distortions because the Earth is an oblate spheroid. Conspiracy theorist Mark Sargent created a multi-part series of videos attempting to prove the discredited Flat Earth theory.
The Central Statistics Office is prohibited from sharing identifiable data with anyone and can only be used for anonymized statistical purposes. Posts on social media have alleged that the 2022 Census in Ireland, to be conducted by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in April, is part of a government conspiracy to strip the property rights of Irish people, connecting it with a proposed constitutional amendment on housing and the refugee crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A video of police entering Bucha does not disprove the massacre. Satellite imagery and witnesses provide evidence that the killings took place. A video of police entering Bucha does not disprove the massacre.
Many of Ireland's most famous prisons - Kilmainham Gaol, Wicklow Gaol, Spike Island - are museums today; educational but painful reminders of colonial rule. A tourist visiting these places will be...
