1. Justin Barrett was born on 13 April 1971 and is an Irish far-right political activist, conspiracy theorist, and anti-abortion activist.
56 Facts About Justin Barrett
1. 2.
Justin Barrett 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.
3.
Justin Barrett campaigned against the Treaty of Nice in 2002 and founded the National Party in 2016.
4.
Justin Barrett has never held or been elected to any public office.
5.
Justin Barrett contested the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election for the National Party, receiving 183 first-preference votes, thus failing to be elected.
6.
Justin Barrett has attracted controversy for his involvement with neo-Nazi groups and for making racist and homophobic remarks.
7.
Since 2022, Justin Barrett had publicly quoted Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf, performed Nazi salutes, engaged in Holocaust denial, spread antisemitic conspiracy theories and, in 2023, appeared at an anti-immigration protest wearing a Nazi uniform.
8.
Justin Barrett's wife has described the two as being national socialists.
9.
Justin Barrett was born in Cork city in 1971 and was adopted when he was five years old by a family in Borrisokane, County Tipperary.
10.
Justin Barrett identified as Justin Slevin for a period but eventually settled on Barrett, his biological parents' name.
11.
Justin Barrett is a graduate in Business Studies from Athlone RTC.
12.
In later years, Justin Barrett himself sought a divorce in 2016.
13.
Justin Barrett was involved in the campaign against the 2002 abortion referendum.
14.
Justin Barrett left Youth Defence in 2004 because he thought their methods of campaigning and interacting with people were becoming increasingly extreme and counterproductive.
15.
Justin Barrett campaigned against the Nice Treaty in both referendums.
16.
Justin Barrett initially denied, and subsequently admitted that he had spoken at an event organised by the NPD, a far right, ultranationalist political party.
17.
Justin Barrett has always claimed that he spoke at these events in an anti-abortion capacity on behalf on the Youth Defence Organisation.
18.
In 2004 Justin Barrett announced his independent candidacy for the European Parliament election of the same year for the East constituency.
19.
Justin Barrett set up his headquarters in Drogheda, an area which had experienced a large influx of non-nationals.
20.
Justin Barrett supported the Citizenship referendum which was held on the same day as the European Parliament election.
21.
Justin Barrett employed nationalist rhetoric during his campaign and stated his intention to "put Ireland first" in the European Parliament.
22.
Justin Barrett campaigned alongside his wife at the time Bernadette and their son Michael.
23.
Justin Barrett called for a complete ban on Muslims entering Ireland and for the introduction of racial profiling.
24.
Justin Barrett has stated that the party is "only for straight Irish people".
25.
Justin Barrett criticised the Irish government and by extension the European Union's handling of Brexit.
26.
In September 2019, Justin Barrett was milkshaked in Galway at a National Party protest.
27.
In mid-July 2023, the National Party reportedly issued a statement saying Justin Barrett had been removed as president of the party.
28.
Justin Barrett disputed this and claims to still lead the party.
29.
In late September 2023, James Reynolds, who claims the leadership of the party, released a statement via the official party website outlining reasons for Justin Barrett's alleged dismissal, which highlighted his "immense character flaws, outrageous decisions, and lack of interest in serious political activities" as well as having "no medium or long-term vision apart from a fanciful belief in an impending economic Armageddon which would inexplicably propel the National Party to power".
30.
Justin Barrett founded Abortion Never as a No campaign in March 2018 to contest the Irish abortion referendum, 2018.
31.
Justin Barrett's wife Rebecca Barrett was a National Party candidate in the Dublin constituency.
32.
Justin Barrett self-published a book in 1998 in which he set out his political principles and advocated the creation of a "Catholic Republic".
33.
Some commentators suggested that the "Justin Barrett controversy" had shifted focus away from other issues and assisted the "yes" campaign.
34.
Justin Barrett spoke at events organised by the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party of Germany several times, and was the guest of honour at a NPD rally in Passau, Germany in 2000, in which anti-semitic speeches, peppered with quotes from Adolf Hitler were given, alongside claims that "Germany was the biggest victim of the second World War", and at which hundreds of skinheads gave standing ovations to elderly Nazis.
35.
Justin Barrett was an honorary guest at our event in Passau.
36.
Justin Barrett attended two conferences, in October 1999 and 2000, organised by the youth wing of the NPD, the Junge Nationalisten, alongside American white nationalist William Luther Pierce.
37.
The National Party and Justin Barrett have stated that he addressed meetings all across Europe in his capacity as an anti-abortion speaker.
38.
Justin Barrett has stated that he regrets "not being more careful" regarding his attendance of events held by the NPD in Germany.
39.
In June 2001, the website of neo-Fascist group Forza Nuova reported that Justin Barrett had attended a number of their events in Italy.
40.
Justin Barrett attended and spoke at a Forza Nuova meeting in Milan in November 2002.
41.
Justin Barrett shared a platform with Roberto Fiore at a rally of Italian fascists at the Hotel Miramar on 20 and 21 July 2001, in the Italian city of Civitanova Marche.
42.
At the rally, Justin Barrett was joined by Mario Di Giovanni, Youth Defence's representative in Italy.
43.
FN and NPD are, in the mind of the accusers, friends whose Justin Barrett should be ashamed.
44.
In 2017, during the party's first ard-fheis held at the Trump International Golf Links and Hotel Ireland, Justin Barrett stated that the National Party was "only for straight Irish people" and defended perceived homophobic comments made by James Reynolds, causing guest speaker John Wilson to walk out of the event in protest.
45.
In 2020, Justin Barrett was involved in the organisation of protests against the Minister for Children, Roderic O'Gorman, and attended these protests alongside members of the National Party.
46.
Justin Barrett stated, "She is an Irish citizen, I accept that, that is the law until we get the law in our own hands".
47.
Later, a Twitter account operated by Justin Barrett's wife made disparaging and racist comments towards Chu.
48.
In January 2021, a car being driven by Justin Barrett was seized by Gardai after it emerged it had not been taxed since November 2019.
49.
Justin Barrett was investigated by Gardai for alleged road traffic offences and breach of COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions.
50.
Justin Barrett remained silent at the hearing and his solicitor said that he was reserving his position and made a motion for the disclosure of prosecution evidence.
51.
In 2022, Justin Barrett posted a quote from Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf on his Telegram page.
52.
On 9 November 2023, Justin Barrett appeared at an anti-immigration protest outside Leinster House wearing a Nazi SS uniform.
53.
In 2004, Justin Barrett was married to Bernadette Barrett.
54.
Justin Barrett later married Rebecca, a primary school teacher from Limerick, and they had five children as of 2024.
55.
Justin Barrett has been involved in the National Party and was a candidate in the 2020 Irish general election for the Limerick City constituency.
56.
Justin Barrett received 345 first preference votes and was eliminated on the second count.