A picture of Irish schoolkids has been posted on a leading white supremacist website.
The snap, taken almost two years ago in Co Longford, shows a class of around 40 children of different ethnicities gathered in their uniforms outside school.
It was posted to social media sites without the permission with captions criticising the “changing face of rural Ireland”.
The image was subsequently tweeted by a conservative vlogger to 46,000 followers with the words: “This is an elementary school in Ireland.
“Within a decade I guarantee the Gaelic language and culture will cease to exist.”
It was later posted to one of the oldest and largest neo-Nazi sites Stormfront, which boasts “white pride worldwide”.
A number of users commented, alleging white people in Ireland are “literally being replaced” and calling immigration an “invasion”.
One mother, who is originally from Poland and whose son is in the photo, said: “It’s disgusting.
“There are six, seven, eight, nine-year-old children in that picture, now it’s all over the world on some websites that are completely at odds with what the school represents.
“It makes me feel very sad about the time we live in, where the internet and social media can be used like this. This has woken me up to a completely different reality.
“What upsets me is I’ve never had this before. This is my home now, my island, my Ireland.
“I’m not naive, there are people that don’t like other people – I’m sure even in my local town some think I don’t belong here – but in Ireland it’s not OK to even say that out loud.”
St John the Evangelist National School in Dublin has also been targeted in the past week, with an image of a diverse classroom taken from a website and posted by right-wing accounts.
A school statement said: “We pride ourselves on being a diverse, tolerant and inclusive school.
"We welcome children of all backgrounds, colour and beliefs. We have been enriched by welcoming families from around the globe.”
The Department of Education, the Department of Communications and the Digital Safety Commissioner have all been approached for comment.
