‘They are very brave behind a Laptop’: Drogheda Mayor reveals why she went public on online abuse

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

The online abuse directed at politicians can be “extremely difficult” to cope with, according to Drogheda Mayor, Cllr Michelle Hall, who revealed that social media attacks on her escalated to the point where she was forced to go public before any action was taken.

Speaking at this month’s meeting of Louth County Council, Cllr Hall said she had been subjected to repeated online harassment and that attempts to get social media companies to intervene had failed.

“I was subjected to a lot of abuse online. It was very difficult to deal with,” she said. “I tried to work with the social media companies and they just refused.”

Her comments followed a presentation from the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG) on the supports available to councillors nationwide.

Cllr Hall said she had not contacted the AILG at the time of the abuse, adding: “Maybe it is something I should have thought of.”

She said the situation only improved after she spoke publicly in the national media about the online abuse she had been facing.

“Then, a lot of pages were taken down. It stopped instantly,” she told the meeting.

She referenced comments made recently by Meath councillor Sharon Tolan, who warned that “misogyny in politics isn’t just disgusting – it is dangerous”, following online abuse directed at her.

“I do feel sorry for people who are posting this,” Cllr Hall said. “Some of them wouldn’t say boo to a goose if you met them in public, but they are very brave behind a laptop.”

She warned that the abuse can be acutely challenging for newly elected councillors, particularly when the harassment comes from people they meet within their own area.

“The longer you are in politics, the easier it gets, I suppose. But it is very difficult if you are a new councillor, and especially if it is local people who are posting these slurs against you, because you have to walk down the street and you may meet those people in a shop with your family.”

Mayor of Drogheda and Louth county councillor, Michelle Hall.

While acknowledging that “being a politician has always been difficult,” she said councillors often take the brunt of frustration directed at the wider local authority: “We are the public face of the council, and we get abuse for it.”

A spokeswoman for the AILG, which represents all 950 local councillors across Ireland, said the organisation provides a wide range of support and guidance to elected representatives.

She told the council meeting that she was “very sorry” to hear of the abuse Cllr Hall had experienced.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing a rise in this,” she said. “It is really disappointing. I don’t understand how it could be acceptable to speak to your public representatives like that. I don’t think it should be part of the job, as what you do is extremely difficult.”

She added that all political parties are facing the challenge of trying to attract new candidates ahead of the 2029 local elections, and that the rising levels of abuse are a significant deterrent — particularly for women.

“It’s especially worrying that the abuse is aimed predominantly at females,” she said.

Meanwhile, Cllr Shane McGuinness said as a new councillor he found the AILG a “great support” and in an era where “everything was legal” it was important that elected reps can access independent advice and guidance on legal matters and planning issues.

Cllr Declan Power said it was “very beneficial” to be part of a wide network of councillors from around Ireland, and to know “that whatever issues are happening here, are happening there too.”

Cllr Hall added that the training provided by the AILG was “really useful” as councillors deal with a wide range of issues and are expected to be “jack of all trades.”

She called for the Local Democracy Taskforce, which is expected to publish its first report in the coming weeks, to look at increasing local representation, as there are just six councillors elected in Drogheda’s urban area, where she said there are around 20,000 people living.