GANGLAND FIGURE GERRY Hutch has broken his silence following the Dublin Central byelection, saying he has “no regrets” and hinting at another future run for elected office.

In an Instagram post published this morning, Hutch thanked supporters and urged people to vote “if they want change”.

“THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED AND SUPPORTED. WE DID WHAT WE COULD,” the post read.

“I’M PROUD OF HOW THE CAMPAIGN WENT AND THE SUPPORT. I’VE NO REGRETS. WE’LL GO AGAIN.”

Hutch was notably absent from the count centre in the RDS over the weekend, where Social Democrats candidate Daniel Ennis was elected in the Dublin Central byelection.

The former robbery convict and alleged organised crime figure ultimately finished fourth in the contest, ending on 4,466 votes after transfers. He finished behind Ennis, Sinn Féin’s Janice Boylan and Green Party candidate Janet Horner.

Despite failing to secure a seat, Hutch again polled strongly in the constituency, increasing his share of first-preference votes (11.3%) compared to the 2024 general election (9.5%).

On those figures, Hutch could potentially take one of the four seats on offer in the constituency at the next general election.

His campaign this time around was also significantly more visible, with Hutch appearing at local events such as a ‘Save our SNAs’ rally, engaging directly with voters in a way not seen during his previous run.

His byelection campaign drew further controversy after Hutch called for people he described as “illegal immigrants” to be “interned” in camps such as the Curragh.

The comments were condemned by refugee and asylum seeker groups, including the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland, which accused Hutch of showing “complete disregard” for human beings.

Hutch also remains on bail in Spain in connection with an alleged money-laundering investigation, which he denies.

While the byelection result fell short of a breakthrough, Hutch’s performance has fuelled speculation that he could yet have a viable path to election in Dublin Central at a future general election.

Independent candidate Malachy Steenson also secured a sizeable vote share in the constituency (9.5%), with transfers between both candidates suggesting there may be enough support outside the established parties to eventually secure a seat.

Any future contest, however, would likely feature higher-profile candidates including Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon back on the ballot in a full general election race.