This article provides a critical analysis of the discourses employed in the Irish Independent's anticipatory coverage of the 'Day of the Welcomes' demonstrations that occurred in Dublin during 2004. These demonstrations were organized by a broad church of 'anti-globalization' activists who sought to use the coincidence of EU enlargement and the May Day holiday as an opportunity to highlight alternative visions of the European project. As Ireland's biggest selling 'quality' newspaper, the Irish Independent has had a significant role in framing public debates about key social and political questions in this state. I show how, in the run up to the 'Day of the Welcomes', the Irish Independent's coverage discredited both the political aspirations and the potential conduct of protesters. The overwhelming thrust of this coverage was to sanction dominant ideologies in relation to neo-liberalism, EU expansionism and the place of dissent in Irish society. Copyright © 2008 SAGE Publications.