Conor McGregor Is The Opposite Of What Ireland Should Stand For

 

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In November of last year Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor was found guilty by the Irish High Court in a civil case of raping 35 year old Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in 2018. Since then McGregor has become a shamed member of Irish society, losing not only his Irish whiskey brand but also the respect of much of his fanbase and the general public.

This week, in celebration of what’s known as Ireland’s holiday of pride, McGregor was invited to the White House by America’s president, and fellow convicted felon, Donald Trump. This moment has caused the people of Ireland, and members of our government, to feel great shame as McGregor is the last person we want representing our nation.

Prior to McGregor’s visit we saw Taoiseach Micheál Martin appear alongside President Trump at the White House only days before.

During his time there the press asked the Taoiseach and President a series of questions involving America’s history with Ireland and the current housing crisis Ireland is facing, which was laughed off by both Trump and Martin. One journalist asked President Trump who his favourite Irish person is to which he responded, “I do happen to like your fighter. He’s got the best tattoos I’ve ever seen,” referring to Conor McGregor.

 

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Only days after the Taoiseach’s visit, the MMA fighter, his family, Elon Musk and other members of the US government stood beside each other with pride in the Oval Office. During his visit to the White House, McGregor made a point that he wanted to express his frustrations about the Irish government and the country’s current immigration policies.

McGregor told the press: “Our government has long since abandoned the voices of the people of Ireland and it’s high time that America is made aware of what is going on in Ireland […] Ireland is at the cusp of potentially losing its Irishness and I’m here to raise the issue and highlight it.”

Not only is this narrative incredibly damaging, it also is not a true representation of Ireland, and was said to further push McGregor’s right wing, racist agenda. Throughout his meeting with President Trump we saw the pair discuss Trump’s recent work on renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. When Trump asked McGregor what he thought of his plan McGregor responded with nothing but praise, saying: “Congratulations! I’ll tell you what, your work ethic is inspiring.”

 

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Not only has the general public of Ireland expressed their feelings towards McGregor’s statements, we have also seen Taoiseach Micheál Martin voice his frustrations. “St. Patricks Day around the world is a day rooted in community, humanity, friendship and fellowship. Conor McGregor’s remarks are wrong and do not reflect the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, or the views of the people of Ireland,” he said.

Tánaiste Simon Harris also spoke up: “Donald Trump can have whoever he wants to visit him that’s a matter for him but let me say in the clearest words possible just cause Conor McGregor was in the White House he wasn’t there in any way speaking for us.  I want people in the United States of America to know, and I particularly want women and girls to know, that Conor McGregor doesn’t represent the values of Ireland. In fact he represents the polar opposite of what we stand for.”

It’s incredibly disappointing to see a man who has caused so much harm be praised by one of the most powerful men in the world however, unfortunately it is not surprising. With the rise of toxic masculinity, incel culture, right wing agendas and MAGA influencing young boys and girls around the world, it is very important that every young person in Ireland knows that Conor McGregor is not a true representation of Ireland, and as Simon Harris put it, the complete opposite of what the people of Ireland stand for.