GERRY ‘THE MONK’ Hutch has confirmed that he will be running in the upcoming Dublin Central by-election. 

The well-known gangland figure only just missed out on the last seat in the constituency in the last General Election, when he was bested by the Labour Party’s Marie Sherlock. 

After hinting at it for months, Hutch confirmed his intentions to run at a promotional event for an upcoming play based on his life-story at the Ambassador Theatre last night. 

Organisers repeatedly asked press at the event last night to stick to questions about the play, as he was asked about the Special Criminal Court trial for the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel. Hutch was found not guilty by the three-judge court in April 2023.

Hutch (62) is currently on bail in connection with an allegation of money laundering before a court in Lanzarote, but Spanish officials have said it won’t stop him standing for election in Ireland.

At one stage last night he told the Irish Mirror’s Paul Healy that he “was never in a crime gang”.

The contest will see someone claim the seat of the former Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, who exited politics last year to take up a job at the World Bank.