DRIVING INTO DUNDALK yesterday, it was hard not to notice how few election posters were erected for Fine Gael’s Louth candidate John McGahon.
“It irks me to see John McGahon’s posters,” said one man on Dundalk’s Clanbrassil Street, where McGahon has a constituency office.
The door to the Fine Gael senator’s office was locked yesterday. When The Journal knocked and inquired if McGahon would be available for comment, a woman answered and told us he was unavailable.
Taoiseach Simon Harris has stood by McGahon amid mounting pressure to drop him for the ticket, although he said this he has “no idea” if he will canvass with the Louth candidate over the remainder of the campaign.
Fine Gael face something of a Catch-22 situation if the party drops him as a candidate – it’s too late to change the names on the ballot paper at this stage, so McGahon would remain on the ballot and could end up getting elected anyway as an independent.
Controversy has surrounded senator John McGahon after a man who took a civil case against him was interviewed by The Sunday Times last week. The article included pictures of the injuries he sustained in the encounter, and a video of the incident has also circulated widely on social media.
McGahon was involved in an altercation with farmer Breen White outside the Rum House pub in Dundalk in 2018.
Though he was acquitted in a 2022 criminal trial of assault causing harm, McGahon was ordered this summer by the High Court to pay White €39,000 after the Castleblayney farmer sued the senator for assault and battery.
The jury found White had been assaulted and awarded €60,000, including €10,000 for aggravated damages. It apportioned blame at 65% against McGahon and the other 35% against the farmer.
While most people spoken to by The Journal on Dundalk’s Clanbrassil Street were against McGahon’s candidacy, two supported his bid for the Dáil.
“I feel sorry for the guy, it was a mistake and we all make them,” said one older man.
“He’s young and I hope he does well, I know his father and the two of them are nice fellas.”
Another older woman said that her “personal experience of him is that he’s very good”.
While she acknowledged that there are “personal issues” with McGahon, she claimed it was “not unusual that they’ve come up during the election campaign”.
“People make mistakes and learn from them,” she added.
“He’s well-liked in Dundalk, he has an office here and if you walk in, you’ll be very fairly treated.
“I don’t go to politicians very often, but the one time I did have to, I was recommended to go to him and I was very well received.”
She added: “It’s fair enough that he runs, and I think all the talk about him is actually taking away from more serious matters.”
When asked if she had seen the images of the assault victim, she acknowledged that the images “are not good”.
But, in an apparent reference to Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch, she added: “Should he be able to run? Yes, there are criminals running so if it’s a free for all, let John McGahon take his chances, that’s what I say.”
Elsewhere however, there were calls for McGahon to step aside.
A man named Paul described McGahon as “easily the most inappropriate candidate ever put on the ballot paper.”
“I’m 55, I’ve been voting since the late 80s; remember, this is a constituency that returned Gerry Adams twice, and John McGann is still the worst candidate to be on the ballot paper here.”
Paul said McGahon’s candidacy is “one of the few mistakes that Harris has made” but remarked that it’s too late to change things at this stage.
“I’m very disappointed Harris has stood by him,” said Paul.
“Okay, he’s quite correct in what he says in that McGahon was found not guilty in a criminal trial.
“But he was found 65% liable in a civil trial, forking out €39,000 – damage done.”
Paul said he hasn’t seen the images or videos that have been circulated, adding: “I don’t want to see them, but he’s just a wholly inappropriate candidate.”
He also described McGahon’s uncle Brendan as a “popular TD”.
Brendan McGahon, was a Fine Gael TD for the area from 1982 until 2002 and died in 2017 at the age of 80.
“I thought he was a wonderful TD, not that I ever voted for him, I don’t vote Fine Gael.
“He was a very good local TD, much like the DUP’s Ian Paisley in North Antrim was a wonderful MP there; I wouldn’t dream of voting for him, but he was wonderful to his constituents.”
Despite thinking it a mistake to stand by John McGahon’s candidacy, Paul told The Journal that Simon Harris is “doing a good job”.
“I think the coalition government is doing a good job and hope it’s returned in some form,” said Paul.
“But we wait and see, and we’ll all have our say on the 29th.”
Meanwhile, others felt McGahon has no chance of winning.
“If he had any credibility, he’d withdraw and take it on the chin. He’s the wrong choice,” said a middle-aged man.
“I’ve seen the images and videos and if people want to vote for someone like that, then that’s their choice.”
He said McGahon shouldn’t be running but added that it’s “too late now for Simon Harris to step in” and that Harris has “slipped up”.
Another man described the assault as “vicious” and added: “I don’t care that he wasn’t convicted, he had to pay the victim €39,000.
“I saw the video of the attack and it showed how vicious the assault was, I don’t think he has a pup’s chance of being elected.”
He also took issue with people who say McGahon comes from a Fine Gael “dynasty”.
“People call it a dynasty about Dundalk, but there’s only the two of them (the late Brendan and John) and nobody heard about John before the assault case and then he’s up for elections.”
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