Fine Gael politician in drunk fight with man, 59
‘I’m deeply ashamed’
A FINE Gael councillor with an ‘alcohol problem’ was involved in a drunken fight that resulted in a man being treated in hospital. John McGahon, who is a member of Louth County Council, revealed that he was in the row in June and said he is ‘deeply ashamed’ of his actions. He remains under Garda investigation.
The Irish Daily Mail can reveal that the 27-year-old councillor was involved in an ‘altercation’ with a 59-year-old man shortly before 4am on Park Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth, on June 16.
‘A lot of alcohol was consumed’
Sources say there was ‘a lot of alcohol consumed’ and that the injured man was taken to hospital after the row.
Mr McGahon was the only other person involved in the altercation. He has not been arrested.
Mr McGahon told LMFM Radio about the incident yesterday.
He said: ‘It was an incredibly stupid situation for me to even be associated with, let alone be involved in. It’s something I’m deeply ashamed of and embarrassed about because I’ve left my family down, I’ve let my girlfriend down, I’ve let friends down.
‘It’s something that is totally unacceptable.’
Mr McGahon didn’t go into detail about the fight, but said that he has been dealing with an alcohol problem for the past ten years and that the altercation proved a ‘crystallising moment’ for him.
‘There are so many times where my behaviour was unacceptable. For me the common denominator was alcohol,’ he said.
‘I have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. I have a problem. If the weather was nice, I’d go for a pint. If the weather was bad, I’d go for a pint.
‘Any excuse under the sun ... I got myself into stupid situations.’
Mr McGahon said that his consumption of alcohol took a huge toll on his mental health.
‘You deal with real anxiety and depression and you question every life decision.
‘I’d go for a few Sunday pints to settle my nerves. It wasn’t once in a blue moon, it was every weekend.’
He said he is taking steps to deal with his alcohol problem.
‘I’ve dramatically cut down my drinking. I’m trying to avoid situations where I have pints,’ he said.
‘It takes a lot of focus and determination and in order to maintain that, I’m starting counselling next week. I can’t tackle this by myself. I wish I had started sooner.’
Mr McGahon, who hopes to run as a Fine Gael candidate in the next general election, said that he wants to use his experience to raise awareness of mental health among men in particular.
‘If you look at most men around the country my age, some of them do have unhealthy relationships with alcohol and mental health,’ he said.
‘I thought being strong was just carrying on and not saying anything about it.
‘I wish I had done it a long time ago.’