Conor McGregor deserves to fade into obscurity following his criminal acts, instead he’s being paraded by Donald Trump as the face of Ireland on St Patrick’s Day, says Maria Ward-Brennan
Once the most celebrated Irish sportsman, Conor McGregor is now one of the most hated – and he only has himself to blame.
There was a time when McGregor was in his prime as a MMA fighter, rocking up to press conferences, throwing out line after line, all while wearing suits that emblazoned f**k you.
He became a sensation for Irish sport, a big name across the Atlantic, and gave Irish people a sense of pride when draped the tricolour around him.
But those days are dead.
Hundreds of businesses have ended their associations with him – supermarkets are no longer stocking his brands, the company that bought his Proper No Twelve whiskey will no longer use his name or likeness and even Ireland’s National Wax Museum has removed his figure.
Even Ireland’s National Wax Museum has removed McGregor’s figure
For us ordinary Irish people, even the sight of his name evokes a sense of embarrassment. Unfortunately for us, that name was everywhere on Monday, thanks to his visit with Donald Trump.
Most normal people know that every action has consequences, especially when you do something wrong.
Yet instead of being punished for his appalling behaviour, McGregor is paraded around the White House on St Patrick’s Day.
This is the same man who is fresh out of a civil courtroom in Dublin, where a jury ruled he was liable for sexually assaulting a woman. Nikita Hand claimed McGregor raped her in a hotel in 2018. A court ordered him to pay her over €248,000 (£206,000) and legal costs, estimated at €1.5m (£1.24m). He is currently seeking to appeal.
The same man who was caught on CCTV in 2019 punching an old man in a pub in Dublin. The Garda (Irish police) said they were investigating the matter, but no arrests were made. The video, released by TMZ, attracted much attention, prompting him to grovel and apologise.
He was also arrested in Florida in 2019 after he attacked a fan for taking a picture, but criminal and civil actions were dropped following an out-of-court settlement.
McGregor is someone who thinks rules are for others and not him.
He narrowly avoided jail last year over his continuing dangerous driving incidents in Dublin. He drives through the streets of Dublin, racking up dozens of traffic convictions – and, luckily, has avoided killing somebody so far.
However, in normal times, a person like this would fade into obscurity. But those are no longer the days we live in; if anything his criminality is boosting his appeal among a certain demographic.
The opposite of a diplomatic coup
This was bought into the spotlight on St Patrick’s Day when he was fawned over at the White House, from meeting the US President, officials – and Elon Musk – to standing at the podium answering journalists’ questions.
This was significant because St Patrick’s Day is about much more than watching parades and wearing green. It is the time of the year when the Irish government pulls out all the stops for its ‘soft power’ play. Ministers and State representatives are sent to 90 cities across 40 countries as part of a robust diplomatic push.
Traditionally, the Taoiseach of Ireland (Prime Minister), Micheál Martin, goes to Washington DC for a meeting with the US President to reaffirm our countries’ historic ties and trading relationship.
After watching how the previous visitor, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was treated, Martin went for the ‘keep your head down’ approach, which had mixed opinions from the Irish media.
But his official visit was long forgotten about amid Conor McGregor’s comments that “Ireland is on the cusp of losing its Irishness” and that an “illegal immigration racket” was “running ravage on the country”. The Taoiseach had to come out to condemn his comments.
Many in Ireland expressed concern about such a man apparently representing their country in Washington, so much so that a new meme was born ‘Andrew Tayto’ – he is Ireland’s Andrew Tate.
Ireland does need to have an open and honest conversation about immigration – but it does not need this criminal to be its voice. He deserves to be forgotten about.
Maria Ward-Brennan is senior reporter at City AM