Gerry Hutch has handful of inmates canvassing votes for him in Mountjoy Prison

Convicted criminal Gerry Hutch has a handful of inmates canvassing votes for him in Mountjoy Prison.

There are over 700 inmates whose votes are up for grabs in the famous jail which lies in the heart of Dublin Central where The Monk is hoping to get elected as a TD.

A prison source said: “He hasn’t been in here visiting but we do know there are a few fellas going around the landings canvassing for him. It would be a good start for him if he could pick up a couple of hundred votes in the Joy.

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“However, we think he will be up against it as Mountjoy is more of a Kinahan place while Wheatfield is probably Hutch territory. I doubt if he will pick up that many votes in Mountjoy. He is also seen as yesterday’s man.”

Irish prisoners can vote in elections if they want to via a postal vote. They have a legal right to receive one if they apply, then fill out their ballot and return it by post via the prison authorities. The prisoners aren’t given the election literature of any of the candidates.

Only a small percentage of Irish prisoners vote in each election. The source added: “Most of them have no time for politicians and just can’t be bothered.”

The bookies give him a 3/1 chance of winning a seat in the four-seater Dublin Central constituency.

The three sitting TDs Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Fein leader, Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohue, and Garry Gannon, of the Social Democrats are all odds-on favourites to be returned to Dail.

The Monk is in a battle against ex-MEP Clare Daly, 11/8, Neasa Hourigan TD of the Greens, 6/4 and Independent Malachy Steenson, 7/4, for the final seat.

Lawrence Lyons, of BoyleSports, said: “Millions in the United States weren’t shy in turning a law breaker into a lawmaker so we have to be wary of how voting patterns can go and notorious figures like the Monk can’t be underestimated when it comes to the odds.”

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