Fine Gael Senator John McGahon is his party's main hope of retaining its seat in Louth but his candidacy has caused a problem for the party which has galvanised everybody else into attack mode, writes

Micheál Martin has objected to Fine Gael's decision to allow candidate John McGahon to run in the General Election. Mr McGahon was accused of physically assaulting Breen White in an incident outside a Louth pub in 2018.

Taoiseach Simon Harris’s decision to stand by pub-assault senator John ­McGahon as an election candidate has been branded “wrong” by opposition politicians, who say his candidacy is an issue for Fine Gael.

It comes following the publication of photographs in the Sunday Times of injuries allegedly suffered by a farmer during a late-night incident with Mr McGahon outside a Louth pub

During the summer, McGahon was ordered by the High Court to pay Breen White €39,000 after the farmer sued for assault and battery.

A defence was put forward, a defence of self-defence was put forward, and a jury found him not guilty,' Mr Harris said in relation to the decision to continue to canvass for the senator

McGahon was found not guilty of assault in a criminal trial of the case, but a High Court jury found him 65 per cent civilly liable.