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GE2024electedLABOUR’S MARIE SHERLOCK has beaten Gerry Hutch to take the final seat in Dublin Central in one of the biggest nail-biters of this general election.
The race between the two had come down to the wire: Hutch had been in fourth place in the four-seater constituency throughout the count.
It was only in the final counts when Sherlock began to close the gap after gaining from the surplus of Gary Gannon of the Social Democrats and Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe, coupled with the distribution of the votes of Fianna Fáil’s Mary Fitzpatrick who was eliminated.
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
Going into the final count, Gerry Hutch was 24 votes ahead of Sherlock.
She received 1,032 votes from the distribution of Paschal Donohoe’s surplus, while Hutch received just 127.
Sherlock was deemed elected on the eleventh and final count with 6,102 votes, while Hutch finished on 5,321 votes.
Hutch had entered the race at the last minute and his candidacy – and its coverage in the media – had been strongly criticised by Gannon, who also comes from the north inner city, where Hutch is originally from.
A notorious gangland figure believed by gardaí to be the leader of the Hutch organised crime group, the 61-year-old known as ‘The Monk’ was arrested and charged in Lanzarote by Spanish police investigating alleged organised crime activity last month.
He was subsequently released on €100,000 bail and registered his candidacy, giving his profession as “consultant”.
Sherlock, a Labour Party Senator, previously worked as an economist for trade union Siptu.
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Electing criminals , like in the US , is I hope, unlikely to catch on here
@Don Knox: Depends on our definition of ‘criminal’, or what extent of criminality. No barrier to many serially elected politicians here.
@Don Knox: bertie ahern, Michael lowry….we have a history in fairness.
@Don Knox:fianna failers are the biggest criminals in world politics, make the mafia look like choirboys
@Don Knox: Many people elected have gone on to use the position to carry out criminality. Of the white collar variety. Brown envelopes, planning and zoning corruption and mobile phone licenses to name a few. Tribunals all over the place. That said Gerry Hutch becoming an elected TD would have been a joke and a circus but it does show the levels of dissatisfaction in the area that he comes from and how they have been left behind.
@Don Knox: what are you talking about ?! His name is Michael lowry
@John Moore: exactly John . People on here disparaging the people who voted for him shows their intelligence and lack of knowledge around the issues in these communities
The monk is sunk.
He wasn’t even at the count. Shows how much he cares.
@Ash Pleed: The only reason he ran was to get out of jail in Spain, €100.000 bail, who paid that?
@John Doe: Correct. He was always using it as his excuse, never had any intention of succeeding.
@Ash Pleed: he was at the count. Pictures of him on here and elsewhere walking into the RDS this morning
The Monk was Robbed.
@Frank Kenny: Criminal.
Hahahahahahahahahahaha hahaha superb. Delighted. Mr scoombag criminal didn’t get in. Boo hoo.
@David Fox: no they elected one in Tipp instead
@S Suilleabhain: not forgetting Dessie Ellis
@Dermot Blaine: you’re so edgy and not at all blinkered. Call the guards so and btw I’m not a SF member. But I did proudly vote for them in my area and she topped the poll again.
He walked in one door and out the other, that girl Sherlock will be a huge asset for the people of Dublin Central.
@Paul O’Mahoney: I doubt it. The last time labour were in power they targeted the most vulnerable in society the elderly, the disabled etc. that’s why they were then almost wiped out. People have short memories
@barry williams: You clearly don’t know this lady and what she worked at. There aren’t any Democratic Left in Labour now and at last they are getting back to where they should be a Left centre part, the one that I have voted for since I first voted way back in 1985 …..we’ve had a good election and hopefully we can get to a place where solutions are found.
@Paul O’Mahoney: I don’t know her I’m sure she has good intentions but labour lied through their teeth last time to get in then targeted the most vulnerable in society. Sure you lie during elections isn’t that what pat rabbitte said? I have given labour a vote in the past but never after what they done when last in power. It was despicable. If they go into power again to prop up the other two their voters will be really angry. They could see themselves wiped out again. Just like the greens this time
One criminal out another one takes his place
@HoneyN Mustard: nonsense.
@HoneyN Mustard: marie sherlock has a criminal record? Explain please?
@Ben dover: Does the Monk have one
No room in the House of Gangters for the Monk!
Sure isn’t the whole Government criminals!? They’re just legalized!!
@Brian k.: Who legalised them?
Sanity prevailed. What the he’ll were people thinking, voting for him?
@Jeanette McDonald: probably “aaah, mad one..deadly buzz, wotz de stordey. Got any gear?”
@Jeanette McDonald: you will never know Jeanette because people like yourself live in a cosy little bubble detached from reality. There’s a major socio- economic reason the people of that area wanted him in and that’s what people should be looking at instead of questioning peoples democratic right to exercise their vote
Grate result for the decent people of Dublin
@Tony Martin: many people voted in that area who backed FF, not so much FG who did poorly nationwide all round. I think that because they voted for Fg or ff that they are not all decent, THOSE people aren’t good they are out for number 1
Common sense prevails. I think he just did it for the craic and people voted for him as a protest vote. This could lead to a lot more chancers in future elections
@Conor Mack: they’ve all been chancers, they all lie to us, promise everything then do F all. If you think those in power do anything for ordinary people your delusional
Thank god!
Noooooooooooo
Sanity has prevailed.
I can’t say that I really care, but I probably would have preferred to have Gerry Hutch in the Dáil than another left-wing Labour TD. I rather have an honest crook in there than another dishonest crook. At least gangs have honour codes, no such thing exists in the Dáil. Labour will probably join the Social Democrats in coalition with FG/FF and they’ll see their popularity drop sharply once again like it did in 2016 and Hutch will run again and probably win.
@Frank O’Hara: you’re somewhat out of touch with present say criminality if you think there’s an honour code, there’s none.
@Frank O’Hara: ‘honour codes’? What on earth are you talking about. Like the ‘honour codes’ operated by the Kinahins…is that what you mean?
Thanks be to F
You can’t be a criminal and coach an under 10s soccer team but it’s ok to be a member of the oireachtas
How about the criminals dressed in suits who got elected again…who ever voted for them should be ashamed of themselves
It’s a shame what he did to Malachy Steenson’s campaign in the space of a month.
There’s space there in that constituency for an anti-establishment vote.
Tipps crook re elected … Shame on them all
Gerry needs to sort out the Barnet first
@K H: Edgy
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