John McGahon has said he will be taking a step back from politics for the foreseeable future and now plans to spend more time with his family.
Speaking at the Louth constituency count centre in Dundalk this evening, Senator McGahon said he plans to assess his options over the coming days.
The Fine Gael candidate thanked those he has represented and wished his running mate Paula Butterly - who is tipped to take a Dáil seat - well.
He said: "So for me, this is it, but you know, [I am] really overwhelmed with all of the support, all of the kindness, all of the generosity that the people of Dundalk have given me and I will carry that with me for many, many, many years to come."
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However, he was found 65% liable in a subsequent civil trial and was ordered to pay €39,000 in damages.
The incident received significant focus during the General Election campaign, after video of the assault emerged.
Asked if he will be re-entering public life, Mr McGahon said: "Look, you know, you never say never but what I'm really looking forward to doing is reading a couple of books for the next few days, going on a few long walks, spending as much time with my wife and my family as possible and I'll assess the situation in a couple of days."
When asked if he understood why people had questioned his candidacy in the general election, Mr McGahon said: "It was always over to the people of Dundalk and Co Louth to decide and on this occasion, they've decided not to elect me and that’s absolutely fine with me.
"It was always going to be their decision and they made their decision and I absolutely accept that it didn’t work out for me. But that’s politics, and indeed, that’s life in general," he added.
The Fine Gael senator was elected to Seanad Éireann in March 2020 as a member of the Cultural and Educational Panel.
Mr McGahon got 4,021 first preference votes in Friday’s election and is almost certain to miss out on one of the five seats in the constituency, after he was out polled by his running mate, Councillor Paula Butterly.
