Before that, there were warnings from Coimisiún na Meán about potential dangers for candidates. 

The organisation said candidates were at “increased risk of suffering online harm”, and published guidance for election candidates on what to do if they face abuse online.

However, the abuse was not confined to the ravings of cowards on the internet. 

Candidates have reported verbal abuse and intimidation on the streets, while the Immigrant Council of Ireland has stated that some immigrant candidates have not canvassed or put up posters for fear that they or their families will be targeted.

Threats to candidates are absolutely beyond the pale. 

Any democracy derives a significant part of its legitimacy from a free electoral process — the safety of candidates in such a process is taken as a given, but we have now reached a stage in Irish history where that cannot be guaranteed if gardaí must assess the safety of polling stations.

The Electoral Commission warned earlier this year that foreign actors are seeking to influence our elections, and recent reports suggest a surge in anonymous social media accounts flooding various platforms with extreme views.

All of this would be worrying enough before we even consider the extraordinary video which emerged from Mayo last weekend, which appeared to show Taoiseach Simon Harris being jostled and a garda being struck by protesters.

If the leader of the country and a garda in uniform can be attacked on the street, there must be significant consequences. 

It is no exaggeration to say this shows an effort to thwart the democratic process in plain sight.

It seems odd to have to state this plainly in 2024, but our democracy is beleaguered at this point in time. 

We need to be proactive in protecting it.

Dog attack: Action in the form of a ban

The news which emerged from Limerick in recent days has horrified the country.

Nicole O’Donnell Morey was attacked by a dog late on Tuesday evening at her home in Ballyneety, having celebrated her 23rd birthday earlier that day. 

Medical personnel pronounced her deceased at the scene.

Members of the Garda Regional Armed Support Unit who attended the property encountered “a number of aggressive dogs”, one of which is understood to have been an XL bully dog.

Unfortunately, this was not the only dog attack to occur recently in the area. 

A nine-year-old boy was injured by a dog in an unrelated attack in Limerick City on May 29, and had to be treated in hospital for facial injuries.

Rural Minister Heather Humphreys recently set up a group to examine dog control. 

On Wednesday, she sympathised with the bereaved family, adding that “more action is required in relation to dog control”.

The minister is correct. With the advent of summer and school holidays, more and more people will be availing of (hopefully) good weather to get out and about.

Their enjoyment of those public spaces should not be compromised by others who will not control their animals and who endanger others.

However, while Ms Humphreys was quick to add that if the dog control group recommends “that we should ban a particular breed, I’m happy to do that”, she also pointed out that the incident in Ballyneety occurred in someone’s home rather than an open space.

Should that be the impetus to ban certain dog breeds completely or to follow the example of Britain, which has severely restricted ownership of the XL bully-type dogs, for instance?

It is surely difficult to argue against a ban on animals which have the capacity to kill.

Deep fake threat: Cyber games

The Paris Olympics are coming closer and closer, and Irish sports fans are looking forward to cheering on their heroes and heroines when the Games commence next month.

However, it appears that Russia is actively seeking to undermine the Olympics.

Sanctions imposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after the invasion of Ukraine mean Russia is banned from the Games, but Microsoft has reported that a network of Russia-affiliated groups are running “malign influence campaigns” against France, French president Emmanuel Macron, the IOC, and the Paris Games.

Microsoft also reports that one organisation linked to the Kremlin is behind an online documentary which criticises the organisation of the Games with the aid of a deepfake Tom Cruise narration.

At first glance, this might appear more mischievous than malign, but other aspects of this campaign are far more sinister, spreading disinformation about the potential for violence at the Games — a sensitive matter given heightened sensitivities as a result of conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

Microsoft has also reported that China is attempting to interfere in elections in South Korea, India, and the US using AI-generated material to deliver false information.

We must now accept that online distortion and manipulation are realities that must be dealt with. 

To judge by Microsoft’s report on the ‘Tom Cruise’ documentary, however, getting ahead of the technology is going to be a challenge.