Last November, in one of the most surprising stories of the general election, Gerard Hutch, the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch organised crime gang, came close to securing the final seat in the Dublin Central constituency.
Standing as an Independent, the notorious figure narrowly missed out on becoming a TD after he secured more than 3,000 first preference votes in the election.
The veteran criminal, better known as the Monk, had returned to take part in the election while on bail from Spanish authorities who were investigating money laundering.
His surprise run for the Dáil was made while Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher was working on a new RTÉ documentary called Gerry Hutch: AKA The Monk.
Today, on In The News, the myth of the monk. How a divisive Gerard Hutch came to be loathed, and revered, by so many.
Conor Gallagher joins the podcast to discuss the two-part documentary into the life, and career, of Gerard Hutch.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.
Gerry Hutch: AKA The Monk concludes Monday 17th February on RTÉ One and is available on the RTÉ Player.
