One in five young adults in Ireland believes the scale of the Holocaust was “greatly exaggerated,” while nearly one in 10 believes it is a “myth,” according to a recent survey conducted by the Global Strategy Group.
The survey was commissioned by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and conducted online, with 1,000 participants whose age profile matched that of the most recent Irish census.
The survey found that half of the Irish adult population did not know that six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust.
The findings showed that 12% of all respondents thought they had never heard of the Holocaust, with that number rising to 15% among 18-29 year olds.
Holocaust awareness and education in Ireland
Additionally, 8% of all adults surveyed believed the Holocaust was a “myth,” and 18% said the number killed was “greatly exaggerated.”
Despite these alarming findings, over 90% of participants said it was important to continue teaching about the Holocaust, with 88% saying it should be taught in schools.
The findings come amid concerns that gaps in Holocaust education may reflect the growing climate of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment in Ireland.
Antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment in Ireland are growing
This survey comes after the Israeli embassy in Dublin closed in late 2024, accusing the Irish government of extreme anti-Israel policies and antisemitic rhetoric.
In May 2025, Amichai Chikli, the Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, referred to Ireland as one of “the most hostile states regarding the state of Israel and the Jewish community.”
He criticized the Irish President Michael Higgins for his speech at Holocaust Memorial Day, where he spoke about Gaza, calling it “violent antisemitism led by a head of state.”
Preliminary results from a report on antisemitism in Ireland, conducted by the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland for the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, were shared with The Spectator.
They found that the Irish Jewish community of just over 2,300 people experienced 128 hate incidents in a six-month period in 2025.
This is equivalent to one antisemitic incident for every 20 Irish Jews during the six-month period - nearly ten times the rate reported in the UK in a similar timeframe, according to figures published by The Guardian.
The survey was conducted between October 15 and November 6, 2025, to better understand the current state of Holocaust education and to raise global knowledge and awareness of the events. The data has a margin of error or ±3.1%.