Gerry Hutch Gains 14% in Dublin By-Election as Anti-Immigrant Politics Enters Ireland's Mainstream
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 21
Gerry Hutch Gains 14% in Dublin By-Election as Anti-Immigrant Politics Enters Ireland's Mainstream
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 21
A 14% poll showing Gerry Hutch in third place has turned Dublin Central's by-election into a test of how far anti-immigrant politics has moved into Ireland's mainstream before Friday's vote.
Hutch, 63, has called for "illegal immigrants" to be interned in camps and linked migration to housing and crime—arguments now echoed by some voters angry over living costs and a housing shortage.
Mainstream parties publicly reject racism but have hardened asylum rhetoric, while former taoiseach Bertie Ahern was recorded saying he worried about Africans and Muslims; Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin called those remarks inappropriate.
The contest to replace finance minister Paschal Donohoe comes amid wider scrutiny of race relations after Congolese man Yves Sakila, 35, died on May 15 after being restrained by security guards in Dublin.
Is a local Dublin election signaling a permanent rightward shift for all of Irish politics?
Can a notorious gangland figure win an election by channeling voter anger over housing and immigration?
As anti-immigrant sentiment rises, is Ireland forgetting its own history of being the immigrant?
Dublin Central By-Election 2026: Gerry Hutch’s 14% Surge, Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric, and the Mainstreaming of Far-Right Politics in Ireland
Overview
The Dublin Central by-election on May 22, 2026, features 14 candidates, but the spotlight is on Gerry Hutch, whose controversial candidacy has stirred intense debate. Hutch, identified by the Special Criminal Court as the leader of the Hutch Gang—an international organised crime group based in Dublin—brings a contentious background to the race. The Hutch Gang’s violent feud with the Kinahan Cartel has resulted in 18 murders, making Hutch’s entry into politics highly controversial. His campaign has not only drawn public attention but also raised concerns about the normalization of figures with criminal pasts in Irish politics.