'I doubt it will materialise' - Tánaiste not expecting Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch to run for election

Over the weekend, the Irish Independent reported that the convicted criminal is seriously considering running as an independent candidate in Dublin’s north inner city.

It was reported that friends of the veteran criminal say he has talked with his family, put together a campaign team and identified Corinthians boxing club as his HQ should he run.

Hutch would be vying for a position in the four-seat constituency against elected representatives Sinn Fein Leader Mary Lou McDonald, Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe, the Green Party’s Neasa Hourigan and Social Democrats Gary Gannon, elected in 2020.

The 61-year-old, who was last year acquitted of the murder of David Byrne in the Regency hotel attack, had discussed the idea with friends, family and “influential figures in the community”.

Speaking in Cork this morning, Tánaiste Micheál Martin shut down a discussion on the reported election campaign.

“I know nothing about that and I am intrigued as to the attention given to it, to be frank,” he said.

“So, I don’t really have a view on it and I doubt it will materialise.”

Growing up in inner city Dublin, Hutch received a range of criminal convictions between the early 1970s and 1983 – spending time in prison on a number of occasions.

Despite his convictions, Hutch, who was acquitted of the murder of David Byrne last year at the Special Criminal Court, has enjoyed huge popularity around the north inner city where he grew up and where members of his family still live.

He recently attended the homecoming of Olympian Kellie Harrington, where he was said to be treated like a local celebrity.

Should he decide to make a run for office, Hutch would likely come up against the Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe in the Dublin Central constituency.

Speaking at the launch of the Dublin Taskforce Report at the GPO this morning, Minister Donohoe told reporters that his community wants to “put organised crime and criminality behind them.”

“It is a matter for whoever wants to be a candidate in Dublin Central to put their name forward but I know when I go to the people of Dublin Central, whenever that may be, I will be making the case for law and order,” he said.

“I’ll be making the case for stability and competence in Government and I’ll be making the case for the communities in Dublin Central continuing with what they want to do, which is putting organised crime and criminality behind them.”

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