In a resounding rebuke, not a single Irish parliamentarian who responded to a recent Sky News survey expressed willingness to support former MMA champion Conor McGregor’s ambition to become Ireland’s president.
The survey, which garnered responses from 134 of Ireland’s 234 Oireachtas members, revealed unanimous opposition to McGregor’s potential candidacy, with politicians using terms like “unfit,” “vulgarian,” and “divisive” to describe the controversial figure.
“I consider him to be a tacky, moronic vulgarian. I would never consider him even remotely a suitable person for a nomination,” stated one senator, reflecting a sentiment echoed across party lines.
Another TD (member of the lower house) was more blunt: “He’s a misogynist and a thug. On behalf of the women of Ireland he can f*** off.”
McGregor, who recently appeared with Donald Trump in the Oval Office on St. Patrick’s Day and subsequently announced his intention to run on an anti-immigration platform, faces significant hurdles to get his name on the ballot. Under Irish electoral rules, presidential candidates must secure either the support of 20 Oireachtas members or endorsements from four local authorities.
“I genuinely would struggle to think of anyone worse to hold that position,” said Garret Ahearn, a Fine Gael senator, while Labour TD Duncan Smith stated, “I could not think of anyone more unfit for public office.”
Fianna Fail TD Cathal Crowe criticized McGregor’s recent Washington appearance, saying he “made a show of himself” and “with no elected mandate he certainly does not ‘speak for Irish people’ when he travels overseas.”
The strong opposition extends beyond political concerns. Erin McGreehan, a Fianna Fail TD, took a personal stance: “As a mother of four young boys I have far more ambition for them than to have someone like that in a position of respectability.”
Professor Gary Murphy of Dublin City University suggests that even pursuing nominations through local councils would be challenging for McGregor. “The difficulty there is they are also dominated by the political parties… I think he would find this extremely difficult to actually get on the ballot,” Murphy explained.
McGregor is currently appealing a civil case verdict in which a Dublin jury found he had raped a woman in 2018, ordering him to pay damages. He also faces a civil case in Florida over alleged sexual assault at a basketball game in 2023, claims his legal team describes as “false.”
Some political observers question whether McGregor genuinely wants to be president or is simply leveraging political posturing to enhance his reputation with his American fan base, who have dubbed him the “Irish Trump.”
McGregor’s representatives have not responded to requests for comment on the survey findings.
