The Hickey Files

Documenting Online Extremism and Ireland's Failure to Enforce Hate Speech Law

Purpose and Context

This comprehensive documentation archive catalogs 120+ instances of online extremism and hate speech by Tadhg Hickey, an Irish social media user whose conduct raises serious questions about Ireland’s enforcement of hate speech legislation and its commitment to the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition of antisemitism.

Ireland adopted the IHRA working definition of antisemitism and has enacted hate speech legislation, yet enforcement remains inconsistent. This archive documents conduct that appears to violate both the spirit and letter of Irish law, particularly:

  • Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Act 2023: Ireland’s primary hate speech legislation
  • IHRA Definition of Antisemitism: Adopted by Ireland to guide identification of antisemitic content
  • Protected Characteristics: Including race, religion, nationality, and ethnic origin

The IHRA Definition and This Documentation

The IHRA working definition of antisemitism includes contemporary examples such as:

  • Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination
  • Applying double standards to Israel not expected of other nations
  • Using symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism
  • Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel
  • Comparing contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis

Many posts documented in this archive exhibit characteristics consistent with the IHRA definition’s contemporary examples of antisemitism.

Enforcement Failures

Despite clear legislation and international commitments:

  1. Lack of Prosecution: Few cases of online hate speech result in prosecution
  2. Platform Inaction: Social media platforms often fail to remove violative content
  3. Impunity: Repeat offenders face minimal consequences
  4. Resource Issues: Insufficient resources allocated to hate speech enforcement

This archive serves as documentation of this enforcement gap.

Archive Scope and Methodology

Documentation Standards

All entries in this archive feature:

  • Original Screenshots: Captured in WebP format with cryptographic SHA-256 hashes
  • Permanent Archives: Most posts archived via Perma.cc (Harvard Law School Library)
  • Metadata: Comprehensive categorization following archival standards (Dublin Core, Schema.org)
  • Chain of Custody: Documentation of preservation dates and methods
  • Integrity Verification: Cryptographic checksums for authenticity

Content Categories

Posts are categorized across 17+ categories including:

  • Explicit Antisemitism: Content matching IHRA definition
  • Terrorist Support & Glorification: Support for designated terrorist organizations
  • Violence Support & Celebration: Endorsement or celebration of violence
  • Dehumanization: Language stripping individuals/groups of human dignity
  • Collective Vilification: Targeting entire communities
  • Inflammatory Language: Incitement and provocative rhetoric
  • Disinformation: False or misleading claims
  • October 7 Denialism: Denial or minimization of documented atrocities
  • Blood Libel: Modern iterations of historical antisemitic tropes
  • Eliminationist Rhetoric: Calls for destruction of peoples or nations

Archival Technology

This archive is built using CollectionBuilder-CSV, a professional digital archival framework developed by the University of Idaho Library and used by libraries, museums, and research institutions worldwide. It adheres to:

  • Dublin Core metadata standards
  • PREMIS preservation metadata
  • Schema.org structured data
  • OAIS (Open Archival Information System) principles

Fair Use and Public Interest

This documentation is created and maintained under principles of fair use for public interest purposes:

  • Journalism: Documenting matters of public concern
  • Academic Research: Providing documentation for scholarly analysis
  • Law Enforcement: Supporting investigation and prosecution
  • Civil Society Monitoring: Tracking online extremism
  • Public Accountability: Documenting conduct by public figures

Privacy and Attribution

All content documented:

  • Was publicly posted on social media platforms
  • Is attributed to its creator
  • Is presented in context with full provenance
  • Serves documented public interest purposes

Intended Audience

This archive is designed for:

  1. Law Enforcement: Irish Gardaí, international authorities investigating hate speech
  2. Prosecutors: Documentation for potential hate speech prosecutions
  3. Policymakers: Demonstrating enforcement gaps in hate speech legislation
  4. Researchers: Academic study of online extremism and radicalization
  5. Journalists: Investigating online hate and legal enforcement
  6. Civil Society: Community organizations monitoring antisemitism and extremism
  7. Platform Safety Teams: Demonstrating policy violations

Technical Implementation

Data Integrity

Every screenshot in this archive includes:

  • SHA-256 Hash: Cryptographic fingerprint proving authenticity
  • Timestamp: Documentation of when material was preserved
  • Original URLs: Links to source material
  • Permanent Archives: Tamper-proof Perma.cc archives

Export Formats

Data is available in multiple formats for different use cases:

  • CSV: Spreadsheet format for analysis
  • JSON: Machine-readable structured data
  • MBOX: Email archive format (legal standard)
  • JSON-LD: Semantic web format with Schema.org markup
  • SHA-256 Checksums: Integrity verification file

Call for Enforcement

This archive documents systematic violations of Irish hate speech law. We call upon:

  • Irish Gardaí: To investigate documented violations
  • Director of Public Prosecutions: To prosecute clear violations
  • Social Media Platforms: To enforce community standards consistently
  • Government Ministers: To allocate resources for enforcement
  • Civil Society: To demand accountability

The adoption of the IHRA definition and enactment of hate speech legislation are meaningless without enforcement.

Contact and Attribution

Contact: [email protected] GitHub: github.com/danielrosehill/The-Hickey-Files

Attribution

When citing this archive:

The Hickey Files: Documentation Archive of Online Extremism. Available at: hickey.vaultlock.net

Reporting Additional Content

If you have documentation of additional hate speech or extremism that should be documented, please contact: [email protected]

Disclaimer

This archive is maintained for public interest documentation purposes. The presence of content in this archive does not constitute legal advice or a determination of criminality. Such determinations are for law enforcement and the courts.

All original content remains the property and responsibility of its creator. This archive serves solely as documentation of publicly available material.

Last Updated: 2025-11-12 Archive Version: 1.0 Total Documented Posts: 120+