Heather Humphreys hits out at Joe Brolly's 'misogynistic' gesture
While lampooning questions to and answers from presidential election candidates, Joe Brolly mimicked oral sex in his since-deleted podcast video clip. Picture: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Fine Gael's presidential candidate Heather Humphreys has hit out at a "misogynistic" gesture by podcast host Joe Brolly.
Mr Brolly on Friday addressed a crude gesture he had made on the podcast that he hosts with journalist Dion Fanning. While some online had suggested it was aimed at Ms Humphreys specifically, the former GAA star said that it was aimed at what he feels are banal answers from presidential candidates.
On social media, Mr Brolly wrote: “During the podcast, I made a childish, crude, and inappropriate gesture to Dion."
My statement on the crude gesture. pic.twitter.com/FGaVsSHULi
— Joe Brolly (@JoeBrolly1993) October 10, 2025
"The gesture — as is clear from the audio — has nothing to do with the presidential candidates.
"It was making fun of the stock questions and responses that happen in a presidential campaign.
"I am very proud of and the production team. My action was in poor taste and should never have happened.”
In an interview in Fermoy with the , Ms Humphreys said that while Mr Brolly had not aimed the comments at her, they "were aimed at women", which concerned her. She said:
"And I will stand up for women, and I will stand up for mná na hÉireann against that type of intimidation.
"It's not going to set me back in my campaign. It'll just spur me on even more."
In the clip, which has since been deleted from the podcast's social accounts, Mr Brolly said that Fianna Fáil's Jim Gavin, who dropped out of the race on Sunday, was not suited to the campaign.
“It became clear very quickly. We were talking about this, the Trinity old boys, a lot of us, and Jim, well, he’s not sort of for the Irish presidential campaign.
“It’s a bit like like a nasty Rose of Tralee. In fact, it’s exactly like a nasty Rose of Tralee. You know, now we have the Longford Rose," Mr Brolly says before co-host Dion Fanning replies: “I’d say the Rose of Tralee is pretty nasty.”
Mr Brolly then compares a contestant to a candidate for the presidency.
“What do you think you would bring to the presidency of Ireland?” Mr Brolly asked, imitating an interviewer.
“Well, I think, you know, I would unite all the people of Ireland, north and south, and I would campaign for world peace, and if I became the president, I just think I would be a unifying force, etc, etc, etc," he replies while mimicking oral sex.
Meanwhile, Ms Humphreys dismissed a suggestion that Fine Gael is smearing her opponent, Catherine Connolly.
Former Fine Gael minister Ivan Yates had said on a Newstalk podcast with host Sean Defoe this week that were he in Fine Gael, he would "smear the bejaysus" out of Ms Connolly in a bid to win the election.
Speaking in Tipperary, Ms Connolly said the comments had "shocked" her.
“To hear him actually saying it, in the manner that he said it, [it was] kind of trivialising the terrible language that was being used,” said Ms Connolly.
“‘Smear the bejaysus out of her’, ‘bring fear into the campaign’ — at a time when we need not fear, a time when we need safe spaces to have rational discussions on complex issues that range across a whole range of things.”
However, Ms Humphreys said that she was not involved in any negative campaigning.
"I've never smeared anybody, and that's not the way I do politics. I will always deal with the issues, not the person. I know Catherine Connolly, and while I will not agree with her on many things, I certainly won't insult her."
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