Bondi Beach shooting: RTE star says 'we were there yesterday' after gun attack

The Minister for Foreign Affairs has confirmed that she was not aware of any Irish citizens who have been "impacted directly" by the Bondi Beach gun outrage.

It comes as RTE presenter Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, who is in Sydney visiting her daughter at the time of the attack, confirmed they are both safe.

Helen McEntee said she was in "shock and horror" at the antisemitic attack on a Jewish community celebrating the first day of their Hanukkah festival of lights.

In a statement she said: "Our consulate in Sydney is continuing to monitor events and will remain in close contact with Irish citizens and the community locally."

She added: "All my thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones and the people of Australia."

In a statement posted on X, the Taoiseach said he was "shocked and appalled" by the gun attack.

Micheál Martin said: "Our prayers go to the families and friends of those lost, the injured, first responders, and people of Australia at this distressing time. Such hate and violence can never be tolerated."

Tániste Simon Harris said he was "horrified" by the incident. In a post on social media he said: "Our thoughts are with all those impacted and their families, with the people of Australia and the Jewish community during this time of profound pain."The spectre of hate and violence must never be tolerated."

RTÉ presenter Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh who was in Sydney visiting her daughter told RTÉ's Brendan O'Connor Show that they had planned to visit Bondi Beach on Sunday, having already spent the day there on Saturday.

She said: "The last three, four hours have been a bit strange to say the least. Myself and my daughter were out for something to eat, she's 29, she lives here in Sydney. She started getting texts, like 'Where are you? Are you guys on Bondi?' Because we were there yesterday.

"We just weren't there today. We went to another beach today, a less busy beach. We were planning to go tomorrow, which we won't be doing now, obviously."

Ms Ní Chofaigh said there was "a lot of mayhem" in the area, but that everyone around them was "absolutely fine".

She added: "We're absolutely fine. Everyone around us is fine, but we're 15 minutes from Bondi. It's a bit weird. For people of a certain age, you think of 9/11, you think of other stuff like that. I even thought of the Omagh bombing ... that sense of urgency and messages looking for paramedics and that kind of thing."

She told the RTE Radio One show that there was a huge Irish population in the area, and that all the Irish people in Sydney were looking out for one another.

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