Anti-Islamisation group Pegida, which was founded in Germany, will formally announce an Irish branch at a protest rally in Dublin next weekend. It is among a series of Europe-wide demonstrations against the growth of Islam in Europe.

Peter O’Loughlin of Identity Ireland confirmed that Pegida Ireland would be unveiled at a rally on February 6th in Dublin. He said Ireland would become the 15th country to establish a branch of the organisation.

“Pegida [Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident, in German] is making international headlines,” Mr O’Loughlin said. “It is giving the people of Europe a chance to speak out and have a voice against the absolutely disastrous policies of the EU and of the German government and the various puppet governments around Europe.”

Mr O’Loughlin, who will be running for Identity Ireland in Cork North Central, was speaking at a press conference where he introduced Pegida UK co-ordinator and former English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson.

Mr Robinson said he was delighted to have an opportunity to warn people in Ireland about the dangers of radical Islam. He said Ireland should look to Britain to see the mistakes made by allowing in large numbers of Muslims who fail to integrate.

“We have polarised communities, we have segregated communities, we have Islamic ghettoes – we have an epidemic of jihad rape gangs targeting English girls . . . these are the realities which are on their way to Ireland.”

Mr Robinson, whose mother is from Dublin, said when he founded the English Defence League six years ago, British politicians said he was extremist; now they recognised the dangers posed by radical Islam.

“The majority of the world accepts this mindset – which we called Isis and which is a literal interpretation of Islam – is a danger to us all. You have a population of 4.5 million people, you cannot sustain open borders, you have to close your borders as does the rest of Europe.”

Mr O’Loughlin, who won 930 votes for Identity Ireland in the Carlow-Kilkenny byelection last year, signed a pledge committing Identity Ireland to join anti-migration organisation Fortress Europe before Dan Ó Loinsigh read a statement on behalf of Pegida Ireland. He claimed Identity Ireland has 400 members in Ireland.

“Despite the obvious chaos engulfing Europe, our liberal leaders bury their heads in the sand and their outright refusal to engage in practicality or common sense is nothing short of treasonous,” he said. “We hope to give the Irish people the opportunity to voice their concerns in a peaceful, proactive manner against mass migration, EU economic madness and Islamic extremism.”