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THERE WAS HALF an hour of chaos and pandemonium in the RDS this afternoon as Gerry ‘the Monk’ Hutch arrived to check in on the count and wish his competition, Labour’s Marie Sherlock good luck.
It was a nail bitter of a count for the final seat in Dublin Central this afternoon as the Labour senator slowly began to edge over the veteran criminal.
Last night, as the first day of counting drew to a close the patriarch of the Hutch family was well and truly in contention to take the fourth seat in Dublin Central, but things swung in Sherlock’s direction this afternoon as the surpluses of Gary Gannon and Paschal Donohoe were distributed.
Gerry Hutch has arrived at the RDS count centre 📹 @janeematthews pic.twitter.com/qTcu0SaX8w
— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) December 1, 2024
Shortly before the 11th count was announced there was a scurry from the media tables in the corner of the RDS as word trickled through that the Monk had landed.
What ensued was a frantic half hour as the gangland figure, encircled by security and a throng of cameras and reporters, made his way towards one of the count areas.
Various counts have been ongoing in the RDS over the last two days, with the cavernous venue a hub for tally people, national and international media, hopeful candidates and their supporters.
Security staff struggled to control the situation as a tight-lipped Hutch refused to answer most questions from the media.
“There’s never a guard around when you need one,” he said with a smile as he worked his way across the room.
Asked why he had attended the count centre, he replied: “What do you think? This is a joke, this is a circus.”
After a few minutes standing watching the count take place, Hutch made his way slowly over towards Sherlock, still circled by the media scrum.
On the way, he passed by Fianna Fáil’s Jim O’Callaghan – Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson on Justice who will have his eyes on becoming the country’s next Justice Minister – who was speaking to reporters immediately following his re-election in Dublin Bay South.
Asked about Hutch’s arrival at the RDS, O’Callaghan, a barrister and senior counsel, said he didn’t want to personalise things, but it would have sent out a “negative message” about Ireland as Hutch can be seen passing by in the background.
Sherlock, who was surrounded by her family and supporters looked surprised to see Hutch approach.
The pair shook hands and wished each other luck, exchanging a few words before Hutch made his way to the door.
Speaking to The Journal immediately afterwards afterwards, Sherlock said Hutch was “very gracious” in what he said to her.
Asked what she made of the chaos that surrounded his arrival at the count centre, Sherlock said “that’s just the way it is in terms of the media interest”.
“But this has been the reality in Dublin Central, we’ve had a lot of media coverage of some big names and no actual conversation of what’s happening on the ground. And that’s what our campaign has been about,” Sherlock said.
Labour’s Marie Sherlock takes the final seat in Dublin Central after a tight contest with Gerry Hutch @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/4p6E5QbtdG
— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) December 1, 2024
Just minutes later she won the seat as Hutch jogged his way through the RDS car park and out onto the main road, with journalists in pursuit.
Asked if he would run again he said: “I’d consider it”.
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The media is sad and desperate bunch when all is said and done.
@Louis Jacob: Bad news sells.
Fair play to Paul Reynolds from RTE for his persistent line of questioning of Hutch at the count centre today, Hutch calling him a dying wasp
@Kevin Kerr: Pity Reynolds didn’t do as good a job when he interviewed him in the 2000’s Hutch ran rings around him back then and the interview ended up glorifying Hutch.
@Kevin Kerr: bs , Reynolds looked like a wound up nodding state dog
20 lives lost in a feud he kickstarted and he got his name on a ballot. And 1000′s voted for him. The mind boggles.
@POC: Great to see he didn’t get in, ironic that he & his relations have done nothing but damage & instill fear in his community & he has the gall to put himself forward & people voted for him. I understand that the inner city has been neglected for decades but Hutch would solve nothing. His real side came out when turning on Paul Williams. This charade was probably an attempt to prevent the Spanish authorities bringing him to task.
@POC: but he didn’t kickstart that fued and the judge in his trial in which he was found not guilty said he wasn’t part of it and there’s no evidence to even suggest he was in the country at the time. It’s mad people just spread falsehoods and lies on here and other media outlets. The mind boggles
@barry williams: ummm yes he did and he’s one of the more intelligent ones like Christopher K… give him some credit albeit negative- he’s still a gangster.
@SV3tN8M4: don’t you mean Paul Reynolds ?
His attempt to avoid criminal charges is gone. He thought he copy Trump and buy a few more years of freedom if he won a seat.
What’s his next excuse for the Spanish authorities?
@Ronan Mc: what are you talking about? Ministers or politicians in this country can’t pardon themselves or avoid prosecution . That’s in America. The charges he’s facing are in a Spanish court F all to do with the Irish judicial system. Do you have any clue about how the law works in Ireland or different jurisdictions? Ffs
@barry williams: I’m intimately aware of how the Irish legal system works. I never said Hutch’s plan would work but his plan was to muddy the waters and have more excuses and legal applications than he would as a simple citizen to avoid Courts and prison
@Ronan Mc: but he had made up his mind and even the media were aware of his intention to run well before he was arrested and charged so that sort of rules out that conspiracy theory. Even Hutch himself said he found it strange. Be interesting to see what comes out of these charges now
@barry williams: who knows. Hopefully they stick and he goes to prison.
@Ronan Mc: TDS.
Didn’t FF and FG have a civil war where they split the country and killed thousands?
@Pork Hunt: No Neither party was formed at the time. Both evolved from the Civil Ear sides as did Sinn Fein. Only difference is the first two knew when to stop the killing. SF were slow learners
@Sean Hayes: O’K then, the person who was most responsible for starting the civil war, one Eamonn DeVelera and president of Sinn Fein, left and founded Fianna Fail (the Soldiers of the Erect Male Member), while the leadership of the other side in the civil war is claimed by Fine Gael.
Do that make you feel better?
@Sean Hayes: so who are you saying sinn Fein killed?
@Sean Hayes: FFG pretend that Ireland is 26 counties. The irony of you defending that.
He should join the other bandid party SF they have heaped missery and kilings on thousands of people as well.
@Trump24: learn your history. You don’t know what you are talking about, as usual.
Now he knows what it feels like to be robbed
Will he outrun the Spanish judiciary?
@honey badger: maybe he should apply to be our Ambassador to Spain, he’d have diplomatic immunity!
So he’s anti immigration. Is he an immigrant to Spain, or is that different?
@Padraig O’Brien: but he’s not anti immigration. He said immigrants are welcome here. It’s mad people come on here to post lies
@Padraig O’Brien: he’ll give the people change, his loose change.
He’d no interest in sitting in the dail. He was only acting the cxnt.
What truly disgusted me was Henry McKean interviewing the Hutch for his Newstalk Front Bench series. The man is a criminal not someone for a cosy chat.
@Suzanne Phelan: Newstalk would interview their granny if they thought they could get some airtime out of it.
Better off sticking to wat ur good at, at least it’s organised, unlike working in politics.
@damien leen: and doing crank calls for nobby and Jim Jim on fm104 in the day
Brave Brave Sir Gerry.
When defeat raised it’s ugly head
He bravely turned his tail & fled
Brave Brave Brave Brave Sir Gerry.
@Noel Byrne: Adams?
The man is a thũg.
Did you see Paul Reynolds and Gerry hutch at the rds , Reynolds acted like a total state paid god shype
Brilliant from Gerry.
‘’Theres never a Guard around when you need one’’ .
I wouldn’t call him a thug, he lives beside me in Clontarf, always polite and a gentleman.
@Áine G: he would have no reason to be a thug to it though aine. I’m sure your opinion would change if you got on the wrong side of him.
@Áine G: ted Bundy’s not a psychopath, he never tried to kill me, etc
have your say