Conor McGregor withdraws bid to contest Ireland’s presidential election

Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor has announced he is withdrawing from the race for the Irish presidency.

McGregor had been due to address meetings of Dublin City Council and Kildare County Council later on Monday in an attempt to get onto the ballot paper for October’s election.

To be eligible to run, a candidate must be nominated either by 20 members of the Irish parliament or four local authorities. They must also be an Irish citizen over the age of 35.

The sportsman announced his decision in a post on social media.

“Following careful reflection, and after consulting with my family, I am withdrawing my candidacy from this presidential race,” he wrote.

“This was not an easy decision, but it is the right one at this moment in time.”

McGregor said he had been “sincere and genuine” about his intentions to contest the election and said he had been “truly humbled” by the “support and encouragement” he had received.

He claimed the election eligibility rules in Ireland’s “outdated constitution” was a “straitjacket” that prevented a “true democratic presidential election being contested”.

McGregor claimed the constitution ensured the election was “fixed to ensure only Establishment approved candidates may be selected on the ballot”.

“This democratic deficit against the will of the Irish people has now been successfully magnified by my expression of interest,” he added.

“In a very short period, I have catalysed a mobilisation for positive change in Ireland against a malevolent political witch-hunt working together with the mainstream media supercharged Fake News.

“There is now a very visible and vocal movement of Irish Patriots reverting to our cultural and historical origins seeking to maintain and protect our way of life as Irish – to them I salute you. The current has changed and this tide cannot be held back!”

Earlier this year, McGregor lost his appeal against a civil jury’s finding in favour of Dublin woman Nikita Hand, who accused him of rape.

Ms Hand, 35, successfully sued him in a civil court over an incident in which he was alleged to have “brutally raped and battered” her in a penthouse at a south Dublin hotel in December 2018.

She was awarded almost 250,000 euro in damages and McGregor was also ordered to pay about 1.3 million euro in legal costs after the November trial.

In his post on X, McGregor insisted his venture into elected politics was not over.

“While I will not contest this election, my commitment to Ireland does not end here,” he wrote.

“I will continue to serve my people by using my international platform to promote Irish interests abroad, to strengthen our economic opportunities, and to advocate for transparency and responsibility in public life at home.

“This campaign has sparked an important conversation about democracy in Ireland about who gets to stand, who gets to choose, and how we can ensure that the presidency truly belongs to the people. That conversation will not end with my withdrawal.

“The tide of change has begun, and it cannot be turned back. My first venture into politics, and although I have chosen to withdraw this round, meaningful progress has been made. I want to assure the people of Ireland that this will not be my last election. You will see me canvassing again in the future, fighting for your rights and representing the best interests of our nation.

“This is not the end, but the beginning of my political journey. I am driven by a commitment to improve lives, defend rights, and serve the Irish people with dedication and integrity. I will continue to serve my people on the global stage lobbying for Ireland’s best interest’s socially and economically – of that there is no doubt. This is a marathon. Not a sprint!”

Former Irish government minister Heather Humphreys is running for Fine Gael in the October 24 poll while ex-Dublin Gaelic football manager Jim Gavin is the Fianna Fail candidate.

Independent candidate Catherine Connolly has secured the backing of a number of smaller parties.

Sinn Fein has not yet decided if it will run a candidate in the election while a range of other hopefuls will be addressing local authorities in the days ahead in an effort to secure the four nominations needed to get onto the ballot.