Around 50 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered at Muckross House in Killarney this afternoon to voice their opposition to the presence of US Congressman Richard Neal, who has recently supported financial backing for Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Neal, a member of the House of Representatives, voted in favor of measures that many critique as favoring Israel’s actions against the Palestinian population, including a controversial antisemitism awareness bill seen by many as a way to suppress pro-Palestinian voices on college campuses.
The protest was organized by the Kerry branch of the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, with many participants being locals. Although there was a noticeable Garda presence at the event, the demonstrators, situated in the sunken garden west of Muckross House, managed to make their voices heard from a significant distance away, chanting statements such as, “Richard Neal, you can’t hide. You’re supporting genocide.”
Among the speakers was Saoirse, an intensive care nurse, who condemned the violence against healthcare professionals in Gaza, citing over 1,400 deaths since October 2023. She emphasized the inappropriateness of the Kerry County Council hosting Neal and the consequences of silence in the face of such humanitarian crises.
The protest highlighted the stark death toll from the ongoing conflict, which has surpassed 53,000 deceased, according to conservative estimates. Additionally, Saoirse remarked on Ireland’s role, suggesting the country is complicit due to ongoing trade with Israel, and stressed the need for the government to advance the long-stalled Occupied Territories Bill, originally aimed at prohibiting trade with illegally occupied regions, including Israeli settlements.
Neal, who has ties to the area through his family background, is in Killarney for the Global Economic Summit, which features prominent attendees including Taoiseach Micheál Martin and European Commissioner Michael McGrath. However, the conference agenda reportedly lacks mention of the Gaza crisis, which has generated further criticism regarding the prioritization of issues discussed at the event.
Maria McCarthy, another organizer of the protest, also expressed the sentiment that Neal’s support for Israel creates a conflict with his historical role in the peace process in Northern Ireland, dubbing the situation hypocritical.
The interactions between local sentiments and national policies underscore the complexity of the ongoing conflict and its reflections in global politics, as well as the local community’s desire for their voices—especially concerning humanitarian issues—to be heard.