Cork Schools Advised to Ring 999 over Threatening Email
Cork schools that received a threatening email on Wednesday have been advised to ring 999 and report the threat to An Garda Síochána.
A number of Cork schools received a threatening email on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, while staff were on strike. The Department of Education and Youth has said any school that received the email should ring 999 and report the threat to An Garda Síochána.
According to The Southern Star, a number of Cork schools, including at least one in West Cork, received threatening emails while undertaking industrial action. The newspaper reported that the message arrived while thousands of teachers, SNAs and school staff were on strike and children were not on school premises.
The Cork Independent also reported that a number of bomb threats had been made to schools around Cork. The Southern Star reported that a number of schools have informed parents and guardians of the threatening message.
The Department of Education and Youth said it was made aware that a number of schools received a threatening email on 14 October, and that it has consulted with An Garda Síochána regarding the matter.
According to the Department, An Garda Síochána has advised that any school that has received the email should ring 999, report the threat to An Garda Síochána and cooperate fully with any Garda instructions. The Department said it communicated this advice to schools and boards of management, management bodies and unions.
The Department said it expects schools “can continue to operate as normal unless otherwise advised by An Garda Síochána”. It added that it will continue to monitor the situation and communicate any further advice as required.
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) said it “is not in a position to comment”, but advises members to report any concerns to the Gardaí and follow their advice.
