Justin Barrett

This article is about the Irish politicial activist. For the psychologist, see Justin L. Barrett.

Justin Barrett
Barrett in 2017
Leader of the National Party (disputed)
Incumbent
Assumed office
16 November 2016
DeputyJames Reynolds
Leader of Youth Defence
In office
2000–[1][2][3][4][5]
Personal details
Born (1971-04-13) 13 April 1971 (age 53)[6]
Cork, Ireland
Political party
Spouse(s)Rebecca Barrett[7]
Bernadette Barrett (div.)
Children8
Alma materAthlone Regional Technical College
Known for
Other namesJustin Slevin[8][9][10]

Justin Barrett (born 13 April 1971) is an Irish far-right political activist, conspiracy theorist,[11] and anti-abortion activist. As of April 2024, he was the leader of a group called Clann Éireann.[12] He was leader of the National Party from 2016 until a leadership rift in July 2023 with his former deputy leader James Reynolds led to a dispute with both men claiming to be leader of the party.

Barrett's activism began in the 1990s, with the anti-abortion campaign group Youth Defence. He campaigned against the Treaty of Nice in 2002 and founded the National Party in 2016. Barrett and the National Party campaigned for a No vote in the 2018 abortion referendum through the Abortion Never campaign,[13] which functioned as "an Irish nationalist anti-abortion campaign".[14] Barrett has never held or been elected to any public office. He contested the 2004 European Election as an independent, receiving 2.4% of the vote in the East constituency and failing to be elected. Barrett also contested the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election for the National Party, receiving 183 first-preference votes (0.68%), thus failing to be elected.

His early activism focused mostly on campaigning in Irish referenda from a Eurosceptic, anti-abortion, anti-immigration, and social conservative perspective. He subsequently however moved towards far-right politics with his involvement in the National Party.[15][16][17] Barrett has attracted controversy for his involvement with neo-Nazi groups and for making racist and homophobic remarks.[18] In September 2019, he controversially implied that, if in power, he would strip the Irish citizenship rights of local government politician Hazel Chu, in spite of the fact she had been born in Ireland and lived there for her entire life.[19]

Since 2022, Barrett had publicly quoted Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf,[20] performed Nazi salutes,[21] engaged in Holocaust denial,[11] spread antisemitic conspiracy theories and,[11] in 2023, appeared at an anti-immigration protest wearing a Nazi uniform. In September 2024, he hailed Hitler as the greatest leader of all time.[22] A statement on the National Party's website in July 2023 stated he had been removed as leader and was replaced by James Reynolds. He denies being ousted from the National Party.[23]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference npfaq was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference examinerJan2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Analysis2001 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference sundayindoMay2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference indoAug2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Coyle, Colin (20 November 2016). "Justin Barrett By: Brexit and Trump". Sunday Times.
  7. ^ Rebecca Barrett on Twitter
  8. ^ de Bréadún, Deaglán (5 October 2002). "Taking on the big boys". The Irish Times. p. 41. He was born in Cork city in 1971, fostered when he was two and adopted at the age of five by a family in Borrisokane, Co Tipperary. Barrett was his mother's family name and the one on his birth certificate, but his adoptive family's name was Slevin, so for years he was known as "Barrett Slevin", as though Barrett were a Christian name. He eventually opted for Barrett, and dropped the Slevin.
  9. ^ "The Persuaders". Irish Independent. 12 October 2002. p. 31. who changed his name from a few years ago from Justin Slevin
  10. ^ O'Donnell, Francis (29 September 2002). "Fascist Link of 'No to Nice' Chief". Sunday Mirror. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016. People first became aware of Barrett's nasty views when he ran for a Union of Students in Ireland election in 1992 as a candidate from Athlone RTC. Barrett at this time was called Justin Slevin; he changed his name some years later
  11. ^ a b c "Justin Barrett Lays Down The Law". thephoenix.ie. The Phoenix. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Clann Eireann – Latest". clanneireann.ie. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024.
  13. ^ Coyne, Ellen (21 March 2018). "You're next if abortion law repealed, far-right tells elderly". The Times (Ireland edition).
  14. ^ "Abortion Never". AbortionNever.ie. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  15. ^ Millar, Scott (12 January 2010). "Irish far right groups remain on the margins of political life". Irish Examiner. ...former Youth Defence leader, Justin Barrett.
  16. ^ Gable, Gerry (November 2009). "Jim Dowson: How a militant anti-abortionist took over the BNP. Part 1 of a three part investigation". Searchlight. His luck changed when he formed an alliance with Justin Barrett, a far-right Catholic lawyer and leader of the notorious Irish anti-abortion group Youth Defence, which had previously stormed buildings in Dublin in their crusade against a woman's right to choose.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference Merrion was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ McCarthy, Justine. "National Party walkout over Varadkar gay slur". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  19. ^ O'Connor, Rachael (5 November 2020). "Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu hits back at racist harassment on social media". The Irish Post. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  23. ^ "Justin Barrett denies being ousted as National Party leader". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 September 2023.