Justin Barrett

Justin Barrett (born 13 April 1971) is an Irish conspiracy theorist, and far-right political activist. As of April 2024, he was the leader of a group called Clann Éireann. He was leader of the National Party from 2016 until a leadership rift in July 2023 with his former deputy leader James Reynolds led to a dispute with both men claiming to be leader of the party.

Barrett's activism began in the 1990s, with the anti-abortion campaign group Youth Defence. He campaigned against the Treaty of Nice in 2002 and founded the National Party in 2016. Barrett and the National Party campaigned for a No vote in the 2018 abortion referendum through the Abortion Never campaign, which functioned as "an Irish nationalist anti-abortion campaign". Barrett has never held or been elected to any public office. He contested the 2004 European Election as an independent, receiving 2.4% of the vote in the East constituency and failing to be elected. Barrett also contested the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election for the National Party, receiving 183 first-preference votes (0.68%), thus failing to be elected.

His early activism focused mostly on campaigning in Irish referendums from a Eurosceptic, anti-abortion, anti-immigration, and social conservative perspective. He subsequently however moved towards far-right politics with his involvement in the National Party. Barrett has attracted controversy for his involvement with neo-Nazi groups and for making racist and homophobic remarks. In September 2019, he controversially implied that, if in power, he would strip the Irish citizenship rights of local government politician Hazel Chu, in spite of the fact she had been born in Ireland and lived there for her entire life.

Previously charged with shoplifting, Barrett also has been before the courts for directing threatening language against members of An Garda Síochána, for public order offences outside a hospital, and for driving without a driving licence or car insurance.

Since 2022, Barrett had publicly quoted Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf, performed Nazi salutes, engaged in Holocaust denial, spread antisemitic conspiracy theories and, in 2023, appeared at an anti-immigration protest wearing a Nazi uniform. In September 2024, he hailed Hitler as the greatest leader of all time. Barrett's wife has also described the two as being national socialists. A statement on the National Party's website in July 2023 stated he had been removed as leader and was replaced by James Reynolds. Barrett has denied being ousted from the National Party.