Gerry Hutch clashes with journalist as he confirms he will stand in Dublin by-election

Gerry “The Monk” Hutch narrowly missed out on the fourth seat in the 2024 general election.

Gerry “The Monk” Hutch has announced he will stand in the upcoming Dublin Central by-election.

Mr Hutch confirmed his candidacy on Wednesday evening at Dublin’s Ambassador Theatre, where he appeared alongside actor Rex Ryan during a publicity event for Ryan’s new stage production The Monk.

Mr Hutch narrowly missed out on the fourth seat in the 2024 general election.

Asked what would be different this time, he said his approach would be “similar to the last one,” but hinted at “a few extra things.” 

Mr Hutch was acquitted in 2023 by the Special Criminal Court of the murder of Kinahan gang member David Byrne during the 2016 Regency Hotel attack.

While the court accepted that members of the Hutch group were responsible for the shooting, it ruled that prosecutors failed to prove Mr Hutch’s direct involvement.

During Wednesday’s theatre event, he clashed with a journalist who questioned his alleged ties to organised crime. 

“I’m no leader of any crime gang,” Mr Hutch said. “I was never in a crime gang. Do you want to be the second dying wasp?"

Stage production opens this month

The one-man play, inspired by Mr Hutch’s life, opens on Monday, February 16, for a six-night run.

Written and performed by Rex Ryan, the son of the late broadcaster Gerry Ryan, the play portrays Mr Hutch as a complex figure rather than a villain or hero.

“It’s not a glorification,” Mr Ryan told the media. “It’s an honest representation of a person, good and bad. The play isn’t to judge; the audience can make their own judgement. My job is to present someone as I truthfully see them.” 

He said ticket sales were strong and described the show as both “a work of fiction” and “a large Dublin story.” The actor added that reaction to its initial staging at the Glass Mask Theatre was “overwhelmingly positive.”

He said the decision to stage The Monk at the Ambassador was deliberate.

"We wanted to do it here to reach people from areas like Summerhill and East Wall who might never go to see a play,” he said. “Whatever the controversy, that’s the essence of drama — to provoke and bring people together."

He added that the greatest reward came from seeing audiences from diverse backgrounds engage with the story. “I saw people from all walks of life come together and listen,” he said. “That was the biggest thing for me.”

Mr Hutch said he had not yet seen Rex Ryan’s play but planned to attend a performance. He also praised the actor, who grew up with his son in Clontarf, for encouraging locals from Dublin’s north inner city to engage with theatre.

“It’s fabulous to do that,” he said. “A lot of people from where I come from don’t really go to theatre. Hopefully they’ll come see Rex, and maybe see that the story is from their part of town.”