‘The only Sinn Féin person having a good day is Jonathan Dowdall’ – Jennifer Carroll MacNeill comes out swinging

The Sunday Independent revealed this weekend that the Dublin home of the jailed ex-Sinn Féin councillor is on the market with a €795,000 price tag.

The home on the Navan Road was previously a crime scene after Dowdall and his father Patrick tortured and waterboarded another man in the house during a dispute over a motorbike.

The property, listed on daft.ie by Flynn Estate Agents, is described as a four-bedroom family home and “oriental inspired haven perfect for entertaining” and within easy walking distance of Phoenix Park.

The advertisement goes on to describe the house as “wonderfully presented” with a “beautifully landscaped” south-facing garden featuring a large fishpond. The advert continues: “A spacious garage provides secure parking for your vehicles and additional storage, along with a home office space or can be uses as an additional living room.”

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In 2022, Dowdall (45) pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016, following his decision to turn State’s witness against his one-time friend Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch.

The father-of-four was sentenced to four years in prison in October 2022. The murder charge was dropped when he opted to give evidence against Hutch during his murder trial.

He is kept in isolation at Limerick jail and is seen as being under continuing and severe threat after giving evidence against the Hutch OCG.

Ms Carroll MacNeill told The Anton Savage Show on Newstalk that the cost of Dowdall’s home is “well over the price of what Mary Lou thinks a house in Dublin should be”.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has previously said that the average house price in Dublin should be €300,000. However, Ms Carroll MacNeill said voters do not believe in the “magic” that Sinn Féin promises.

Ms Carroll MacNeill served as Minister of State at the Department of Finance from December 2022 until she was appointed Minister of State for European Affairs after Simon Harris became Taoiseach.

Early indications, as counting continues in Ireland’s local and European elections, show there will be no Sinn Féin surge, while government parties do not appear to have suffered a major electoral blow.

Reacting today, Minister MacNeil said that: “People who sling mud on social media and spend a fortune – i.e. Sinn Féin – they get stuck in the mud.

“It goes to show that people didn’t buy that, that they want detail,” she added.

Commentators have noted that Sinn Fein’s strategy in some constituencies had led to its vote being split too much.

Commenting today, party leader Mary Lou McDonald said she is “sorry” that her candidates did not perform better in Ireland’s local elections, amid criticism of the party’s strategy in the council races.

“Clearly, we didn’t get that right,” Ms McDonald said.

She added: “It’s not just the number of the candidates, but the fact that in so many cases they were first-time candidates.”

Speaking at a count centre in Dublin, Ms McDonald said: “We have made some gains, they are modest, but they’re there.

“It hasn’t been our day. Clearly frustrations – anger indeed – with government policy on this occasion has translated into votes for independents and others.

“We have to now prepare ourselves for the general election, whenever that will happen. We’ll take time to reflect.”