Irish gangland figure fails in Dublin byelection bid for seat in parliament

Gerry the Monk Hutch, a 63-year-old independent candidate linked to organised crime allegations and past robbery convictions, failed to win a parliamentary seat in a Dublin byelection. The contest was won by Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats, with the campaign focused on cost of living and immigration. Hutch called for illegal immigrants to be interned in camps and singled out people from Somalia. He received 2,817 first preference votes, rising to 4,466 after transfers, while Ennis finished with 12,050 in the final count. Sinn Fein’s Janice Boylan received 7,787 and the Green Party’s Janet Horner received 5,452. Hutch’s defeat was seen as a relief for establishment candidates, though his vote share increased compared with the 2024 general election. A secretly recorded remark by Bertie Ahern about Muslims and arrivals from Africa prompted distancing by the current taoiseach.

"Gerry the monk Hutch has failed in his bid for a parliamentary seat in a Dublin byelection. The 63-year-old came fourth in a contest won by Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats, a victory for progressive politics after a campaign dominated by concerns over the cost of living and immigration. Hutch, who has been named in court as the leader of an organised crime group and was jailed for robbery convictions in his youth, ran as an independent and called for illegal immigrants to be interned in camps. He singled out people from Somalia."

"In the Dublin Central constituency Hutch won 2,817 first preference votes 11.3% of the total and that rose to 4,466 after votes from eliminated candidates were transferred. It left Hutch trailing Ennis, who won 12,050 in the final count, Sinn Fein's Janice Boylan, with 7,787, and the Green party's Janet Horner, with 5,452. Gerry Hutch ran as an independent candidate and called for illegal immigrants' to be interned in camps."

"Ennis promised to bring deep humanity to the Dail and said he would do his best to represent all those who call the Dublin Central constituency home. Hutch's defeat was a relief for establishment candidates who feared that his fame and notoriety, and a sour mood to the government, would deliver a shock result. However, Hutch and another anti-immigration candidate, the independent councillor Malachy Steenson, increased their share of the first preference vote from Ireland's 2024 general election, in which both competed."

"During the election, Bertie Ahern, the former Fianna Fail taoiseach, was secretly recorded telling a voter that he worried about Muslims and arrivals from Africa. We can't be taking in people from the Congo and all these places. The current taoiseach, Micheal Martin, distanced the party and the government from the remarks."

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