The Irish Freedom Party lost its status as an official political party on Tuesday, June 23, after the Registrar of Political Parties announced the cancellation of its registration. 

The party split following a leadership dispute last year. Members voted to oust the former leader, Hermann Kelly, in May 2025, and he was eventually removed as a member in October 2025. 

The incident led the Registrar to receive two separate applications to update the party’s status. Each application had insufficient information, and after several attempts for clarification, the Registrar’s office stated that neither demonstrated the requirements to be considered an official political party.    

First officially formed in June 2019, the Irish Freedom Party has elected a single candidate, Glen Moore, to the South Dublin City Council. However, he now registers as an Independent.

The party’s platform has largely consisted of Kelly’s Eurosceptic and anti-immigration beliefs. They held several demonstrations that were met with large amounts of counter-protesting. 

At a rally in Limerick in December 2021, a supporter of the group allegedly tore a Pride flag from a counter-protestor’s hands while shouting death threats. The party’s Chairman, Michael Leahy, denied claims that they were homophobic and stated the group has “no policy whatever in regard to discrimination against homosexuals”. He continued to say he considers the rainbow flag to be a beautiful flag.   

However, since then they have attempted to introduce legislation that would amend the Constitution to remove the term gender and define people as two biological sexes, with Kelly stating that gender is a pseudoscience. Their website additionally states they are “pro-family” and “pro-natalist and pro supportive of stable families for procreation”.

Furthermore, Global Project against Hate and Extremism identified the Irish Freedom Party as an anti-LGBTQ+ group in 2022. 

The party argues that for a united Ireland, the country must leave and cut economic and legal ties with the European Union. They also claim that many of Ireland’s and the EU’s environmental policies are “alarmism” and overtaxation. 

Candidates will still be able to run for office, but only as Independents unless the party secures re-registration. Re-registration could be possible if the party can formalise an appeal within 21 days.