Gardaí seek Interpol assistance in investigating threats against Simon Harris and family
A series of threats including a kidnapping threat to his young children, sexual threats, and a bomb threat were made against Tánaiste Simon Harris and his family in Greystones, Co Wicklow, in late August and early September 2025. The threats were made on Instagram and by phone and appear to have been organised by a group coordinating via the Telegram messaging app. A woman in her 30s from the Ronanstown area of west Dublin was arrested on 2 September 2025 on suspicion of making the threats and was released without charge on 3 September 2025 with a file to be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Special Detective Unit is leading the investigation and has sought Interpol assistance after indications that some of the threats originated from overseas.
- Reported1 Sep
4 reports - Arrested2 Sep
4 reports - Charged
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- A series of threats including a kidnapping threat to his young children, sexual threats, and a bomb threat were made against Tánaiste Simon Harris and his family.
- Where
- The Harris family home is in Greystones, Co Wicklow, and the suspect was arrested at a house in the Ronanstown area of west Dublin.
- When
- The first threat was made on 31 August 2025, the suspect was arrested on 2 September 2025 and released without charge on 3 September 2025, a second threat was made on 5 September 2025, and a bomb threat was received on 7 September 2025.
- Cause
- The threats appear to have been organised by a group of people who coordinated via the Telegram messaging app.
- Investigation
- The Special Detective Unit is leading the investigation with support from Wicklow Gardaí, the National Cyber Crime Bureau, and counter-extremism officers, and Interpol assistance was sought after indications that some threats originated from overseas.
- Charges
- A woman in her 30s was arrested on suspicion of making the threats and was released without charge on 3 September 2025 with a file to be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
- In court
- No court proceedings have taken place; the woman was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
- Other details
- Harris stated the threats have a clear motivation to intimidate him out of public office, and the bomb threat was the third security incident related to him in the past week.
72 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA threat posing harm to Simon Harris's young children was made on social media. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA woman in her 30s was arrested in connection with online threats against an elected representative. (garda.ie)
- whatA woman was arrested in Dublin in connection with a threat to kidnap the children of Tánaiste Simon Harris (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe woman was released without charge on Wednesday and a file will be prepared for the DPP (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe suspect is a woman in her thirties (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe threats were made on Instagram (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMr Harris alerted Gardaí after seeing threats to his family and himself on Instagram on Sunday (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA woman in her 30s was arrested and released in connection with a threat against Harris's children. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe woman was released without charge on Wednesday with a file being prepared for the DPP. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe latest threat was made on social media on 5 September 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatHarris has previously received threats through social media and a phoned bomb threat. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatProtests have been held outside Harris's home where his wife and children live. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMultiple calls were made to An Garda Síochána claiming there was a bomb at the Harris family home on Sunday. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe threats appear to have been organised by a group of people. (irishtimes.com)
- whatDifferent people phoned the threats to Garda stations in a bid to cause a significant security alert. (irishtimes.com)
- whatGarda suspect the conspiracy commenced with online communications between the group where the plan to make multiple calls was put in place. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA major security operation was commenced by the Garda. (irishtimes.com)
- whatCalls were made to at least three Garda stations. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe callers who contacted the Garda stations all claimed a bomb had been placed at the Harris family home. (irishtimes.com)
- whatGardaí suspect the callers communicated with each other during an interaction on messaging app Telegram. (irishtimes.com)
- whatGardaí are investigating a series of online threats against Tánaiste Simon Harris and his family (irishtimes.com)
- whatAt least three different callers contacted Garda stations claiming a bomb had been planted at the Harris home (irishtimes.com)
- whatThreats of a sexual nature were made against a member of the Harris family (irishtimes.com)
- whatThreats to kidnap the Harris children were made the previous weekend (irishtimes.com)
- whereShe is being held at a Garda Station in the Dublin Metropolitan Region. (garda.ie)
- whereThe arrest took place at a house in west Dublin (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe woman was brought to a Garda station in Dublin after arrest (irishmirror.ie)
- whereShe is held at a Garda Station in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe woman is from the Ronanstown area in Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe Harris family home is in Greystones, Co Wicklow (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe threat was made on the morning of 31 August 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe arrest took place on 2 September 2025. (garda.ie)
- whenThe woman was arrested on Tuesday at a house in west Dublin (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe woman was arrested on 2 September 2025 (irishmirror.ie)
- whenHarris saw the threats on Sunday before the arrest (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe woman was arrested in Dublin on Tuesday 2 September 2025 (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí from Wicklow, the National Cyber Crime Bureau and the Special Detective Unit are conducting investigations. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe woman is detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. (garda.ie)
- investigationThe investigation was supported by counter extremism gardaí from the Special Detective Unit (irishtimes.com)
- investigationShe was detained under section four of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda station in the Dublin metropolitan region (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationShe was arrested by officers from the anti-terror Special Detective Unit and Gardaí from Wicklow (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí are investigating a second threat made against Simon Harris's family within a week. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe property was being searched on Sunday in an operation led by the Special Detective Unit. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationArmed detectives and the Garda Dog unit are at the property in Greystones, Co Wicklow. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe Special Detective Unit is leading the investigation (irishtimes.com)
- investigationInterpol assistance was sought because some threats appeared to come from overseas (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA woman was arrested for questioning in connection with the kidnapping threat (irishtimes.com)
- chargeShe is being held on suspicion of making the threats (irishmirror.ie)
- courtShe is detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe Tánaiste alerted Gardaí to the message. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe threat remained online for a number of days before being removed by Meta. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherLast year, a man in his 40s was arrested over sinister threats to the Tánaiste. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHarris's home in Wicklow was subject to an alleged bomb threat in June 2024. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherNo device was found at the property during the June 2024 bomb threat. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe Tánaiste has retained the high level of security afforded to him when he served as Taoiseach. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherAn Garda Síochána is not providing any further information at this time. (garda.ie)
- otherThe Fine Gael leader has received threats before, including through social media and a phoned bomb threat (irishtimes.com)
- otherIn June 2024, an anonymous caller rang a Samaritans helpline claiming there was an explosive device at the Harris family home (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe woman was released without charge on 3 September 2025 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherSimon Harris is Tánaiste, minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMr Harris is also minister for Defence as well as Foreign Affairs (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHarris stated the threats have a clear motivation to intimidate him out of public office. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe Tánaiste has retained a high level of security following a threat assessment by Garda intelligence services. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThis is the third security incident related to Mr Harris in the past week. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMr Harris and his family were at a secure location. (irishtimes.com)
- otherA previous bomb threat targeting Mr Harris and his family was made via the Samaritans. (irishtimes.com)
- otherOn Friday another threat of sexual violence to a close family member was made online. (irishtimes.com)
- otherGardaí are concerned about the clear degree of organisation involving several people. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe incident is part of an intensifying campaign to target Mr Harris and his family. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe threats are suspected to have been co-ordinated by a group using the Telegram messaging app (irishtimes.com)
- otherThere is growing concern among senior Garda management about the escalating threats (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 13 Sep2025Gardaí investigating threats against Simon Harris and family seek Interpol assistance
Details the SDU investigation, Interpol request, and the sequence of three incidents in a week including a bomb threat, sexual threats, and a kidnapping threat that led to a woman's arrest for questioning.
victim, Simon Harris, male, irish (judged from name)Simon Harrissuspect, female - 7 Sep2025Gardaí investigate bomb threat to Simon Harris’s Wicklow home in major security operation
Provides operational detail on the bomb threat: multiple callers to at least three Garda stations, coordination via Telegram, the Special Detective Unit-led search with armed detectives and Garda Dog unit, and confirmation this was the third security incident in a week targeting Harris and his family.
victim, Simon Harris, male, irish (judged from name)Simon Harris - 6 Sep2025Gardai investigate second threat in a week against Simon Harris’s family
Reports the second social media threat made on 5 September 2025, details the arrest and release of a woman in her 30s from Ronanstown, west Dublin, and includes Harris's statement describing a 'clear and sinister pattern' of intimidation aimed at forcing him out of public office.
victim, Simon Harris, male, irish (judged from name)Simon Harrissuspect, 30s, female - 3 Sep2025Woman arrested on suspicion of making threats to Tánaiste and his family
Confirms the arrest of the woman in her 30s on 2 September 2025 by SDU and Wicklow Gardaí, detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda Station in the Dublin Metropolitan Region. Adds that Mr Harris first saw the threats on Instagram on Sunday and that the Cyber Crime Bureau was also involved.
victim, Simon Harris, male, irish (judged from name)Simon Harrissuspect, 30s, female - 3 Sep2025Woman arrested over threats towards Tánaiste’s family released without charge
The woman in her 30s arrested on 2 September 2025 over online threats to Simon Harris and his family has been released without charge, with a file to be prepared for the DPP. The threats were made on Instagram and seen by Harris on Sunday before the arrest.
victim, Simon Harris, male, irish (judged from name)Simon Harrissuspect, 30s, female - 3 Sep2025Woman (30s) arrested over threat to kidnap Simon Harris’s children freed without charge
Confirms the woman in her 30s was arrested on 2 September 2025 at a house in west Dublin by Ronanstown gardaí supported by the Special Detective Unit, detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, and released without charge on 3 September 2025 with a file to be prepared for the DPP.
victim, Simon Harris, male, irish (judged from name)Simon Harrissuspect, 30s, female - 2 Sep2025Arrest – Threats Against an Elected Representative, 2nd September 2025
Confirms the arrest of the woman in her 30s on 2 September 2025, detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda Station in the Dublin Metropolitan Region. No further information provided by An Garda Síochána.
victim, male, irish (judged from name)suspect, 30s, female - 1 Sep2025Gardai probing serious threat made to Tanaiste Simon Harris and his family
Reports the specific social media threat to Harris's children made on 31 August 2025, notes the message remained online for a number of days before being removed by Meta, and recalls that a man in his 40s was arrested last year over similar threats and that masked anti-immigration protestors gathered outside his home in May and June 2024.
victim, Simon Harris, male, irish (judged from name)Simon Harrisvictim