Fine Gael candidate's company handled John McGahon's appointment as Dundalk Chamber of Commerce CEO

A recruitment company owned by a Fine Gael election candidate handled ex-Fine Gael senator John McGahon’s appointment as Dundalk Chamber of Commerce CEO. 

"It's been a pleasure to support her,” wrote McGahon in a May 2024 Facebook post about the launch of Osborne CEO Shóna McManus’s local election campaign. 

Osborne managed McGahon’s recruitment as Dundalk chamber CEO, a position he was appointed to last week. He retired from politics after failing to win a Dáil seat in the 2024 general election while McManus ran unsuccessfully for Fine Gael in Drogheda in the local elections in the same year.

‘I run this town and you should know me’

Dundalk Chamber of Commerce advertised a vacancy for its CEO position in October 2024 with a deadline of Friday 15 November 2024 – just two weeks before the general election when McGahon failed to win a Dáil seat.

Recruitment company Osborne launched another process with the chamber in early 2025 with a closing date of 7 May, 2025.

The job specification required "excellent communication and presentation skills”, "strong people and change management experience" and a "proven track record in networking and building strong relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders." Its salary was to be "in line with that of CEOs of similar sized not for profit organisations operating in Ireland”.

It also required “management experience including finance, HR, sales, marketing, PR, IT, facilities, regulatory and compliance”. 

In April 2024 Drogheda Life described Osborne CEO Shóna McManus as  "a new face on the political scene" but "no stranger in business circles" when she ran for Fine Gael. 

A social media post shows McGahon and McManus standing together in front of a large campaign banner featuring McManus's image and promoting her as "A New Strong Voice" for "Positive Change For Drogheda”. She wasn’t elected, receiving 6.32% of the vote (681 votes) and finishing seventh.

She also served as Drogheda Chamber of Commerce president from 2018 to 2020. Dáil records from May 2024 show taoiseach Simon Harris acknowledging, "Shóna McManus introduced its members to me last week" when referring to his meeting with the Love Drogheda Business Improvement District group.

Announcing McGahon's appointment this week, Dundalk chamber said his "extensive experience in public service" and "skills in strategic planning and public engagement" demonstrated "his ability to represent and advocate for local business and community interests effectively”.

McGahon was found 65 percent liable in a High Court civil case in July 2024 for a 2018 attack on a man outside a Dundalk nightclub and ordered to pay €39,000 in damages. A court heard that McGahon told the man, "I run this town and you should know me".

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on McManus’s part. 

McGahon, McManus and Dundalk Chamber of Commerce have been contacted for comment.