By Salma El-Sakka
Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ was evacuated Friday morning after a bomb threat forced staff out of its Dublin headquarters and pulled a live radio show off air.
Evacuation and On-Air Disruption
RTÉ Radio One's programme "Today With David McCullagh" was replaced by a loop of pre-recorded music after the station received an email warning that a bomb would detonate on the Montrose campus within 45 minutes. Staff working at the television and radio headquarters were evacuated, and an audio message apologised for the interruption to the usual schedule.
McCullagh later returned to the airwaves broadcasting from the station's mobile broadcast vehicle while Gardaí continued to search newsrooms and studios. He told listeners the threat was being taken seriously and that any employer receiving such an email must act accordingly.
Government Response and Security Measures
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the threat was being taken seriously and that Gardaí, the Defence Forces, cyber and aviation authorities were working with European counterparts to establish who was behind it. He noted it was not yet determined whether the threat came from individuals or a coordinated attack, but vowed to identify and hold those responsible accountable.
The threats come ahead of a week when Ireland will host two major European political summits as part of its six-month presidency of the EU Council. Martin said a "very significant security operation" would be in place for the European Political Community meeting on Thursday and the informal meeting of EU heads of state on Friday.
Broader Threat Context
RTÉ said in a statement that it, along with a range of media organisations, received a threat on Friday morning and had evacuated its campus in line with security protocols. The incident follows bomb threats sent to airlines, including an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin, over recent days.
