Case No. 2000Making a threat to kill or cause harm · Co. Dublin · 16 Jul 2024

Man sentenced for threatening to kill Mary Lou McDonald in Dublin

A masked man wearing a homemade balaclava posted a video on TikTok on 16 July 2024 threatening to shoot Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. Richard McGreevy, 28, of Rathfarnham, South Dublin, was arrested on 18 July and charged under section 5 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. He was refused bail at Dublin District Court on 19 July and remanded in custody. McGreevy pleaded guilty to two counts of making a threat to kill or cause harm at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 12 December 2024. On 26 March 2025, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to three-and-a-half years in prison with the final 15 months suspended on strict conditions.

  1. Reported17 Jul
    2 reports
  2. Arrested18 Jul
    2 reports
  3. Charged18 Jul
    4 reports
  4. In court19 Jul
  5. Convicted12 Dec
    2 reports
  6. Sentenced26 Mar
    2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
A masked man wearing a homemade balaclava posted a video on TikTok on 16 July 2024 threatening to shoot Mary Lou McDonald and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.
Where
The alleged offence took place at McGreevy's home at Whitechurch Place, Rathfarnham, South Dublin.
When
The threats were made on 16 July 2024.
Cause
The video went viral on social media, prompting Mary Lou McDonald to make a formal complaint to gardaí.
Investigation
The Special Detective Unit arrested McGreevy at his Rathfarnham home on 18 July 2024 and seized all devices used to post the video.
Charges
McGreevy was charged under section 5 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 with two counts of making a threat to kill or cause harm.
In court
  • McGreevy was refused bail at Dublin District Court on 19 July 2024 and remanded in custody.
  • McGreevy pleaded guilty to both counts at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 12 December 2024 via video-link from Cloverhill Prison.
Sentence
Judge Martin Nolan sentenced McGreevy to three-and-a-half years in prison with the final 15 months suspended on strict conditions on 26 March 2025.
Other details
  • McGreevy is 28 or 29 (reports differ) and has an acquired brain injury; he was previously convicted of robbing a shop.
  • The videos were viewed thousands of times and reposted to Facebook and X.
98 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA video circulating online showed a masked man threatening to shoot Mary Lou McDonald. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatIn the video the man said he would have Garda Commissioner Drew Harris shot before the end of the year. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatIn the video the man said he would shoot Mary Lou McDonald himself. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatA man is reported to have threatened to shoot Mary Lou dead. (extra.ie)
  • whatA man was arrested in connection with threats to kill Mary Lou McDonald and the Garda Commissioner. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatIn a video circulating online, the suspect, wearing a homemade balaclava, threatened to shoot Ms McDonald. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatIn the video he threatened Drew Harris, saying he would be shot before the end of the year. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatIn the video he said he would shoot Ms McDonald. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatThe man was charged in connection with a video threat to kill Mary Lou McDonald. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe man was 28 years old. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatIn a video, a masked man wearing a homemade balaclava threatens to shoot Mary Lou McDonald and urges others to cut the throat of the Garda Commissioner. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe video showed a masked man threatening to shoot Mary Lou McDonald and urging others to cut the throat of the Garda Commissioner. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatMary Lou McDonald said a threat to kill her was issued online. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatA 28-year-old man was charged in connection with a video containing a threat to shoot Mary Lou McDonald. (rte.ie)
  • whatRichard McGreevy was refused bail after being charged with threatening to kill Mary Lou McDonald. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatA man has been arrested in connection with a threat to kill Mary Lou McDonald and the Garda Commissioner. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe man is in his 20s and was arrested in the morning and is being questioned by detectives. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe suspect wore a homemade balaclava and threatened to shoot Mary Lou McDonald in a video shared online. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatIn the video the suspect pledged support for the Coolock protests before making the threats. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe suspect said Drew Harris would be shot before the end of the year. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatMcGreevy pleaded guilty to making threats to Mary Lou McDonald and Drew Harris. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatRichard McGreevy, 28, of Whitechurch Place, Rathfarnham, Co Dublin, appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court via video-link from Cloverhill Prison. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatOn 16 July 2024 he made a threat to kill Mary Lou McDonald or cause her serious harm. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatOn the same date he made a threat to kill Drew Harris or cause him serious harm. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe threats were made in a video posted on TikTok by McGreevy. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe man posted threatening videos towards Mary Lou McDonald and Drew Harris. (extra.ie)
  • whatRichard McGreevy, 29, is from Whitechurch Place, Rathfarmham, Co Dublin (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe videos were viewed thousands of times and reposted to Facebook and X (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMcGreevy had been using cannabis since he was a teenager but was drug-free since going into custody (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMcGreevy has an acquired brain injury and suffered physical abuse as a child at the hands of a relative (irishtimes.com)
  • whatCommissioner Harris declined to provide a victim impact statement (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe arrest took place at a property in Rathfarnham, South Co Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereHe was arrested at a property in Rathfarnham, South Co Dublin, on Thursday morning. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe alleged offence took place at the accused's home in Whitechurch Place, Rathfarnham, Dublin. (rte.ie)
  • whereThe alleged offence occurred at McGreevy's home. (thejournal.ie)
  • whereMcGreevy is of Whitechurch Place, Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin. (thejournal.ie)
  • whenHe was arrested this morning. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whenThe offence was alleged to have taken place three days before the court appearance. (rte.ie)
  • whenThe alleged offence occurred on July 16. (thejournal.ie)
  • whenThe threats were made on July 16. (thejournal.ie)
  • whenThe threatening videos were posted on TikTok on 16 July 2024 (irishtimes.com)
  • causeThe accused was arrested after footage of a masked man threatening to shoot the Sinn Féin leader was circulated on social media. (rte.ie)
  • causeThe video containing the threats was first posted on TikTok and then went viral. (thejournal.ie)
  • investigationMary Lou McDonald made a formal complaint to gardaí about the threat. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationGardaí have confirmed an investigation into the video. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationThe man deleted social media as Gardaí identified him. (extra.ie)
  • investigationHe is being questioned by detectives. (dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationGardaí confirmed an investigation into the video. (dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationMs McDonald made a formal complaint to gardaí on Wednesday. (dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationOfficers searched the property in Rathfarnham. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationThe videos were posted to a publicly available TikTok account. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationAn alleged threat prompted Mary Lou McDonald to make a formal complaint to gardaí on Wednesday. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationOfficers from the Special Detective Unit brought the accused before Dublin District Court. (rte.ie)
  • investigationThe Special Detective Unit arrested McGreevy at his south Dublin home on a Thursday morning. (thejournal.ie)
  • investigationGardaí said they had seized all devices used to post the video. (thejournal.ie)
  • investigationMary Lou McDonald made a formal complaint to gardaí on Wednesday. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeHe was charged under Section 5 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997 at a Garda Station in Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeGardaí said the man was charged over threats made online against a public representative and a Senior Garda Officer. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeHe is accused of making a threat to kill or cause serious harm to Ms McDonald, intending her to believe it would be carried out. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe charge is contrary to section 5 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. (rte.ie)
  • chargeMcGreevy was charged under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act and held overnight. (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeMcGreevy is accused of making threats to kill or cause serious harm to Mary Lou McDonald. (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeA man was charged with threatening to kill Mary Lou McDonald. (extra.ie)
  • chargeMcGreevy entered pleas to two counts of making a threat to kill or cause harm under section 5 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeMcGreevy pleaded guilty to a charge of threatening to kill Mary Lou McDonald or cause her serious harm. (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeMcGreevy pleaded guilty to a charge of threatening to kill Drew Harris or cause him serious harm. (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeHe entered pleas to two counts of making a threat to kill or cause harm contrary to section 5 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeHe pleaded guilty to two counts of making a threat to kill or cause harm (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe man is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice on Friday 19 July 2024 at 10:30am. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtHe was due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice on Friday 19 July 2024 at 10:30am. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe detective objected to bail on the seriousness of the charge, the strength of the evidence and the potential sentence of up to ten years. (rte.ie)
  • courtThe accused was refused bail and remanded in custody for a week. (rte.ie)
  • courtThe judge remanded the accused in custody to appear again at Clover Hill District Court the following week. (rte.ie)
  • courtJudge Paula Murphy refused bail at Dublin District Court. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtMcGreevy was granted legal aid and remanded in custody pending directions from the DPP. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtMcGreevy's next hearing is on July 26 at Cloverhill District Court. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtMcGreevy appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court via video link from Cloverhill Prison. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtJudge Orla Crowe directed victim impact statements to be prepared. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtJudge Orla Crowe directed the preparation of victim impact statements. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Martin Nolan (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe Sinn Féin leader and the Garda Commissioner were not in court during the sentence hearing (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceMcGreevy was remanded in continuing custody for sentence the following March. (thejournal.ie)
  • sentenceMcGreevy was remanded in continuing custody for sentencing next March. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceJudge Nolan imposed a three-and-a-half year prison sentence with the final 15 months suspended on strict conditions (irishtimes.com)
  • otherIn the video the man pledged his support for the Coolock protests. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe suspect is reported to be from the West Dublin area. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe suspect is reported to be on bail in relation to an alleged theft-related incident. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherMary Lou McDonald said a threat to kill her was issued online the previous night. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherIn the video he pledged support for the Coolock protests. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe man is well known to gardaí and is considered to be primarily a petty thief. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe man was previously convicted a number of years ago for robbing a shop of a significant sum of money. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe man is currently on bail and faces a District Court case over an alleged theft-related incident later this year. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe detective told the court the accused had also incited violence against Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and other gardaí. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe defence solicitor said the accused had a brain injury, had lost his father and had been abandoned by his mother as a child. (rte.ie)
  • otherOn conviction the offence carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherMcGreevy said he had an acquired brain injury and memory problems. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherThe suspect is well known to gardaí and is considered to be primarily a petty thief. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe suspect is on bail and faces a District Court case over an alleged theft-related incident. (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 26 Mar2025
    Man jailed for posting online threats against Mary Lou McDonald and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris

    Sentencing hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court with victim impact statements from Mary Lou McDonald; Judge Nolan imposed three-and-a-half year term with 15 months suspended.

    convicted, Richard McGreevy, 29, male, named, irish (judged from name)Richard McGreevyvictim, Mary Lou McDonald, female, irish (judged from name)Mary Lou McDonaldvictim, Drew Harris, male, irish (judged from name)Drew Harris
  2. 26 Mar2025
    Man jailed for posting threatening videos towards Mary Lou McDonald and Drew Harris

    Headline-only article (body missing) reporting the jailing of a man for threatening videos about Mary Lou McDonald and Drew Harris. It matches existing case 2000 by subject and stage. It gives no name, age, location or sentence length.

    convicted, malevictim, Mary Lou McDonald, irish (judged from name)Mary Lou McDonaldvictim, Drew Harris, irish (judged from name)Drew Harris
  3. 12 Dec2024
    Man pleads guilty to making threats to kill Mary Lou McDonald and Drew Harris

    McGreevy pleaded guilty to two counts of making threats to kill via a TikTok video; Judge Orla Crowe directed victim impact statements and remanded him in custody for sentencing in March 2025.

    victim, Mary Lou McDonald, female, irish (judged from name)Mary Lou McDonaldvictim, Drew Harris, male, irish (judged from name)Drew Harrisconvicted, Richard McGreevy, 28, male, named, irish (judged from name)Richard McGreevy
  4. 12 Dec2024
    Man pleads guilty to making threats against Mary Lou McDonald and Drew Harris

    Adds that McGreevy pleaded guilty to both threat counts at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court via video link from Cloverhill Prison, that victim impact statements were ordered, and that he was remanded in custody for sentence. Sentencing is not reported in this article.

    convicted, Richard McGreevy, 28, male, named, irish (judged from name)Richard McGreevyvictim, Mary Lou McDonald, female, irish (judged from name)Mary Lou McDonaldvictim, Drew Harris, male, irish (judged from name)Drew Harris
  5. 23 Jul2024
    Man arrested over chilling threats to kill Mary Lou McDonald and Drew Harris

    Reports the arrest of a man in his 20s over threats to kill Mary Lou McDonald and Drew Harris in an online video, the complaint made by McDonald, and the suspect's background.

    suspect, 20s, malevictim, Mary Lou McDonald, female, irish (judged from name)Mary Lou McDonaldvictim, Drew Harris, male, irish (judged from name)Drew Harris
  6. 19 Jul2024
    Man charged with threatening to kill Mary Lou Mcdonald denied bail

    Reports that a man charged with threatening to kill Mary Lou McDonald was denied bail. Matches the existing McGreevy case on the threat to kill McDonald and the July 2024 timeline. The article body contains only template code, so no names, location or dates beyond the headline are given.

    accused, malevictim, Mary Lou Mcdonald, irish (judged from name)Mary Lou Mcdonald
  7. 19 Jul2024
    Man refused bail after being charged with threatening to kill Mary Lou McDonald in online clip

    Adds the charging and bail stage: McGreevy was arrested by the SDU on Thursday morning, charged under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, refused bail, remanded in custody, and due back at Cloverhill District Court on July 26. Gives his claimed brain injury and memory problems and the garda objection to bail.

    suspect, Richard McGreevy, 28, male, named, irish (judged from name)Richard McGreevyvictim, Mary Lou McDonald, female, irish (judged from name)Mary Lou McDonald
  8. 19 Jul2024
    Man charged over video threat to shoot SF leader McDonald

    Reports the charge and bail refusal at Dublin District Court on 19 July 2024. Adds the charge wording, the detective's objection to bail, the defence account, and the remand to Clover Hill District Court.

    accused, Richard McGreevy, 28, male, named, irish (judged from name)Richard McGreevyvictim, Mary Lou McDonald, irish (judged from name)Mary Lou McDonald
  9. 19 Jul2024
    Face of man charged over sinister video threat to kill Mary Lou McDonald

    Adds the arrest at a Rathfarnham property, the station charge, the court date and the name of the accused. Also reports a related threat against Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

    accused, Richard McGreevy, 28, male, named, irish (judged from name)Richard McGreevyvictim, Mary Lou McDonald, female, irish (judged from name)Mary Lou McDonaldvictim, Drew Harris, irish (judged from name)Drew Harris
  10. 18 Jul2024
    Man charged over sinister threat to kill Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald

    Reports the arrest and charge of a man, aged 28, under Section 5 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997, over a video threat to kill Mary Lou McDonald. The threat was made in a video posted to a TikTok account, and the article gives no date for when it was posted.

    accused, 28, male
  11. 18 Jul2024
    Man arrested over threats to kill Mary Lou McDonald and Drew Harris

    Reports the arrest of a man in his 20s over the online threat video, quotes the threats and Ms McDonald's response, and gives background on the suspect.

    suspect, 20s, malevictim, Mary Lou McDonald, female, irish (judged from name)Mary Lou McDonaldvictim, Drew Harris, irish (judged from name)Drew Harris
  12. 18 Jul2024
    Man who threatened to 'shoot Mary Lou dead' deletes social media as Gardai identify him

    Only the headline and metadata were available; the article body contained template code and no further details.

    suspect, male
  13. 17 Jul2024
    Convicted robber is suspect behind threat to kill Mary Lou and top Garda

    The Irish Mirror reports that it has identified the suspect, a convicted robber from West Dublin, and that gardaí have confirmed an investigation. No arrest or charge is reported. The article also covers a separate 2022 threat against Leo Varadkar, which is not part of this case.

    suspect, late 20s, malevictim, Mary Lou McDonald, irish (judged from name)Mary Lou McDonaldvictim, Drew Harris, irish (judged from name)Drew Harris