Just three hours after revelations emerged about questionable witness testimony in his civil assault case, Conor McGregor announced his withdrawal from Ireland’s presidential race.
The former UFC champion’s sudden departure from the campaign trail comes as gardaà investigate alleged perjury by two key witnesses who claimed to support McGregor’s version of events during his civil case with Nikita Hand.
Samantha O’Reilly and Steven Cummins were arrested Thursday morning by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. They had sworn they witnessed Hand in an altercation with her then-partner on December 9, 2018 – the same date Hand alleged she was assaulted by McGregor.
However, investigations have now revealed the couple wasn’t even living at the Drimnagh address they claimed to be residing at during the alleged incident. According to sources, detectives obtained statements from the landlord who rented the property to O’Reilly and Cummins, confirming the couple hadn’t moved into the house until a week after December 9, 2018. Additional statements from homeless agencies corroborated that both individuals were housed separately elsewhere on the dates in question.
The timing raises questions about McGregor’s political motivations. Sources indicate O’Reilly’s online activity suggests she is a “Conor McGregor superfan,” though gardaà found “no evidence” that either witness had any contact with the former champion.
In his withdrawal statement posted on social media, McGregor painted his exit as a principled stand against establishment politics, claiming Ireland is “constraint by the straitjacket of an outdated Constitution” and alleging a “malevolent political witch-hunt working together with the mainstream media supercharged Fake News.”
“Following careful reflection, and after consulting with my family, I am withdrawing my candidacy from this presidential race,” McGregor wrote on his social media. “This was not an easy decision, but it is the right one at this moment in time.”
The announcement came just as McGregor was scheduled to make his pitch to county councils, starting with presentations to Kildare County Council and Dublin City Council. His withdrawal effectively ends what appeared to be an uphill battle for support among councillors needed to secure a place on the presidential ballot.
Several Dublin City councillors had already expressed strong opposition to his candidacy. Green Party councillor Ray Cunningham revealed receiving “maybe 20 or 30” contacts from constituents urging him not to nominate McGregor, responding “no chance” to such requests.
Independent councillor Mannix Flynn was equally blunt, calling McGregor “an unsuitable candidate who was found by a court to be liable for damages in a sexual assault.”
“This has to form part of the information when we consider someone for the office of president,” Flynn said, adding that McGregor “would be better off auditioning for the Abbey, or better still, audition for the Gaiety School of Acting.”
Even potential allies remained uncommitted. Far-right councillor Gavin Pepper, despite online speculation, confirmed his support for independent candidate Maria Steen, while independent councillor Malachy Steenson said he hadn’t “ruled McGregor in and I have not ruled him out.”
McGregor’s campaign manifesto had promised to “give power back to the people of Ireland” through constitutional amendments and public referendums. However, his withdrawal statement suggests this was merely the opening act of a longer political strategy.
“I want to assure the people of Ireland that this will not be my last election,” he declared. “This is not the end, but the beginning of my political journey.”
The perjury investigation continues, with both O’Reilly and Cummins released without charge pending a file being sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. McGregor himself is not expected to be questioned as part of the probe.
