Who is Daniel Ennis? Former footballer and Dublin's newest TD
James Cox
Social Democrats candidate Daniel Ennis has topped the poll in the Dublin Central byelection, which will bring Holly Cairns' party up to 12 sitting TDs.
So who is Dublin's newest TD?
Ennis has been in politics for around three years and said the wave of anti-immigrant sentiment in Dublin, and a desire to counteract that, was one of the things that inspired him to get involved.
The 38-year-old, from the north inner city, lives with his fiancee and two young children.
Ennis was a well known League of Ireland footballer, he played for Bohemians, Shelbourne and Bray Wanderers.
Ennis did volunteering work with East Wall Bessborough FC, before joining the constituency office of Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon, who will now be his Dublin Central partner.
His father Geoffrey Ennis Senior was allegedly a close associate of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, who lost out to Ennis in the Dublin Central byelection.
Geoffrey Ennis was suspected to be a member of a gang that carried out the Brinks Allied robbery, which made Hutch a household name in gang circles.
“Anything I know of my dad’s past and, kind of, criminal past, would have been through a newspaper,” Ennis told the Irish Independent.
Speaking as he arrived at the count centre, Ennis said he believed he topped the polls because “we didn’t bend on who we were”.
“It was just listening to people, meeting them where they were, whether they agreed with you or not,” he said.
“I believe in the politics of decency, politics of hope and inclusion, and people wanted that on the doors. They wanted that positive approach, they wanted change, but they wanted positive change.”
