Gangland figure Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch just fails in bid to win a seat in Dail


His controversial run for election ended with Mr Hutch running away through the RDS car park being followed by the media.
The independent candidate had seemed well poised through much of the lengthy count process to win the final seat in the Dublin Central constituency, but was ultimately overhauled by Labour Party candidate Marie Sherlock.
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Hide AdDubliner Mr Hutch, 61, had announced his surprise candidature after arriving back in Ireland last month following his arrest in Spain last month as part of an international investigation into money laundering.
He has reportedly been released on bail of $100,000 (£83,000).
It had been anticipated that Mr Hutch would not attend the count centre when it had become clear he would not be elected, but he arrived unexpectedly just after three o'clock on Sunday.
His presence caused chaotic scenes as a huge media scrum assembled and following him around the centre, while security staff struggled to keep control.
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Hide AdHe finally stopped at railings placed around a vote counting station, which was not for the constituency in which he was running.
Dozens of reporters, photographers and camera operators jostled to get close and shouted questions.
He said: “There's never a guard (member of the Garda) around when you need one.”
Asked why he thought so many people had voted for him, he replied: “Because they are looking for change and if I got elected I would give them the change that they want. I would do what they want.”
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Hide AdAsked why he had attended the count centre, he replied: “What do you think? This is a joke, this is a circus.”
Asked if he would run again, he said: “I've been running all my life, I love running.”
There were angry scenes as security staff attempted to move the media back.
Mr Hutch stayed in the count centre for just over half an hour before leaving, surrounded by security staff.
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Hide AdAs the media followed him outside the building, he was repeatedly asked if he would run for election again.
He then started jogging through the car park, with journalists in pursuit, before turning onto the main road and continuing to run away.
Mr Hutch had run a colourful campaign, telling reporters after he arrived at Dublin Airport some weeks ago that he would contest the general election and then arriving at the office of the Dublin City returning officer on a moped to lodge his papers.
He was later pictured driving through the constituency in his white election van. His election posters featured the slogan, ‘We need change and I'm your man’.
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Hide AdHis efforts at first seemed to have paid off. At the end of the first count in the four-seat constituency on Saturday, in which Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald topped the poll, Mr Hutch was in fourth place with 3,098 first preference votes.
However, the complex system of proportional representation in the Irish election, means that the gap between candidates can fluctuate through a series of counts as some are elected and others eliminated.
On Sunday morning, Mr Hutch still had a lead of more than 2,000 votes over Ms Sherlock, however, as the count stretched into the afternoon, the further distribution of votes saw Ms Sherlock dramatically narrow the gap to just over 100 votes.
Of the 930 surplus votes that were available after the Social Democrat Gary Gannon was elected, 716 went to Ms Sherlock and shortly after Mr Hutch left the RDS, it was confirmed that Ms Sherlock had secured the final seat in the Dublin Central area.