RTÉ received an email shortly before 0900 GMT claiming a bomb would detonate within 45 minutes. The message purported to be from the same group responsible for hoax threats that disrupted dozens of passenger flights across Europe on Thursday, according to an on-air report by RTÉ Radio. Although the excerpts read on air did not name the group, the threat forced a temporary suspension of programming. Staff were cleared to return to the central Dublin building at 1000 GMT, after which Newstalk, an affected Irish radio station, resumed broadcasting. A presenter on Newstalk stated that the earlier threat had been deemed a hoax.
Sky, owned by Comcast, stated in a statement read by a Sky News presenter that it was one of several media organizations to receive a security threat. The company said it had conducted a security assessment and reported the matter to relevant authorities. “The safety and security of our colleagues is our primary concern, and we are working closely with authorities to ensure our people and operations remain secure,” the statement read. Sky did not clarify whether its threat was directly linked to the airport incidents.
Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin addressed the situation in a telephone interview with RTÉ, describing the events as “worrying.” He noted that such unconventional activities are designed to cause fear and anxiety and to undermine the normal operation of society. “It just illustrates how relatively simple it can be to cause disruption,” Martin said, urging the public to remain calm and focused while authorities investigate.
Security operations continued at RTÉ’s campus in south Dublin, where police conducted building-by-building checks even after some staff returned to central Dublin. The Irish Independent newspaper group also reported that its offices in the capital were evacuated. No casualties were reported in connection with the threats to RTÉ, Sky, or the Irish Independent.
The wave of threats began with disruptions to European passenger flights on Thursday, where dozens of flights were affected by bomb threats. While the specific group behind the flight disruptions has not been publicly identified in the provided materials, the RTÉ threat email explicitly claimed affiliation with those responsible. Authorities in both the UK and Ireland are working to determine if all incidents are part of a coordinated campaign.
As of Friday, no further arrests or specific operational details regarding the perpetrators were announced in the supplied materials. Security assessments remain ongoing at affected media facilities, with no indication that broadcasting services will face prolonged interruptions beyond the initial evacuations.
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