A GoFundMe support page launched by popular internet personality and commentator Michael McCarthy has raised €10,000 in the first three hours since its launch.

McCarthy, who has 1,000,000 followers on Instagram as well as 165,000 on X, launched the campaign in order to help keep the fuel protesters around the country fed as the government refuses to negotiate with those who are not part of representative groups.

An initial target of €3,000 was reached within an hour of launching the campaign, McCarthy said in a social media post, adding that money was no longer the issue and calling on those involved in food preparation to provide refreshments for the protesters, as “morale is low”. 

“Here’s the reality: if fuel costs €1, the government adds €1.20 on top of that in taxes. That’s a 120% markup on a product nobody can live without.” McCarthy wrote on the campaign page. 

“What I need now is cafes, bakeries, pizzerias, people willing to make sandwiches, make food, make drinks, and deliver it to these people. 

He called for anyone willing to participate to “get in touch” with him. 

“We need to video it, we need to show people making the food, delivering it”, he said, adding,  “We need to spread this message and boost morale for these protestors.”

“The government is threatening to use the army against these protesters”, when their “ask” is that the government “stop taking so much money when it comes to fuel,” he said. 

“Most of the money [at the fuel pumps] is added on by the government, it’s made expensive by the government: all they have to do is stop doing that, especially coming into summertime when farmers have most of their work ahead of them”, he added. 

He encouraged the public to support the protest, saying that the cost will “eat away at the money you have” as the extra costs reach the consumer. 

“Everything requires energy, and if energy goes up, everything goes up: your food, your transport, services, goods.”

“All will be made more expensive, he said, adding that businesses may have to close if the government does not cut the price of fuel.”

He drew price comparisons to Ukraine and Spain, where petrol currently costs approximately €1.40 to €1.65, while the current cost in Ireland is close to €2 per litre.