Ireland’s leader has condemned anti-immigration comments made by Conor McGregor, during an appearance by the 36-year-old former mixed martial arts champion in the White House ahead of a St Patrick’s Day meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Speaking in the White House briefing room Monday, McGregor said the Irish government had “abandoned the voices” of the Irish people and claimed rural towns in Ireland were being overrun by immigrants.
“Ireland is at the cusp of potentially losing its Irishness,” he said.
McGregor, who was at the White House to meet US President Donald Trump on Ireland’s national day, has previously said he is considering running for president in his native country.
Irish leader Micheál Martin was quick to denounce the fighter’s comments, however, saying Conor McGregor’s remarks were wrong, and “did not reflect the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, or the views of the people of Ireland.”
In a post on X, Martin said the holiday was “a day rooted in community, humanity, friendship and fellowship.”
McGregor has long been vocal about his anti-immigration views and, as far back as 2022, expressed support for people protesting against immigration. His controversial social media posts have been circulated by groups with links to the far right.
“It’s about time that America is made aware of what’s going on in Ireland. What is going on in Ireland is a travesty. Our government is the government of zero action with zero accountability,” McGregor said ahead of his meeting with Trump.
“So, issues need to be addressed, and the 40 million Irish Americans, as I said, need to hear this,” he added. “And I’m here to raise the issue and highlight it. You know, it’s also St. Patrick’s Day, so a little bit of celebrations.”
McGregor’s appearance at the White House came after Martin, the Irish taoiseach, met with Trump last week. During that visit, a reporter asked the president about his favorite Irish person.
“Oh, there’s so many — are you kidding me? Well, I do happen to like your fighter; He’s got the best tattoos I’ve ever seen. Conor’s great, right? I’m talking about Conor,” Trump said.
Once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, McGregor is a controversial figure in Ireland.
In a January civil lawsuit, a woman accused McGregor of sexual battery during the 2023 NBA Finals in Miami. The incident was investigated by police at the time and the Miami-Dade state attorney declined to press charges against him. McGregor, said the allegations were false.
Last fall, a civil jury in Dublin awarded nearly 250,000 euros ($257,000) in damages to Nikita Hand, a woman who claimed McGregor had “brutally raped and battered” her in a hotel in Dublin in 2018. McGregor testified that the two had consensual sex and vowed to appeal the verdict.