Conor McGregor's comments regarding Ireland and immigration ‘wrong’, says Taoiseach

The Taoiseach Micheál Martin has described as “wrong” remarks made by Conor McGregor during a visit to the White House just days after Mr Martin’s own Oval Office meeting with the US president.

Mr McGregor answered questions from reporters as he joined US press secretary Karoline Leavitt in the West Wing briefing room ahead of a meeting with Donald Trump.

The MMA fighter told the media he was going to speak about immigration in Ireland, and said the “illegal immigration racket is running ravage on the country”.

Mr Martin said on X: 

“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.”

During his exchange with reporters yesterday, Conor McGregor criticised the Irish Government on immigration issues.

“I’m here to raise the issues the people of Ireland face. It will be music to the people of Ireland’s ears,” he said.

“Never on the main stage has the issues the people of Ireland faced been spoke.

“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. What is going on in Ireland is a travesty.

“Our Government is the government of zero action with zero accountability.

“Our money is being spent on overseas issues that is nothing to do with the Irish people.

“The illegal immigration racket is running ravage on the country.

“There are rural towns in Ireland that have been overrun in one swoop, that have become a minority in one swoop, so issues need to be addressed and the 40 million Irish Americans, as I said, need to hear this because if not there will be no place to come home and visit.”

Tánaiste and foreign affairs minister Simon Harris, who is currently in the US, said that Mr McGregor was in the US as a personal guest of president Trump and had no mandate to speak for the people of Ireland.

“It’s for president Trump to invite whoever he wants to his home, and he’s perfectly entitled to do whatever he wishes in relation to who he decides to invite to the White House,” Mr Harris said.

“But let me be very clear, Conor McGregor is not here in the United States representing Ireland or the people of Ireland. He’s here in a personal capacity.

“He doesn’t speak for Ireland. He doesn’t speak for the people of Ireland. He has no mandate to do such.

“My views on him are very clear, well established, previously articulated, long standing and on the public record.”

Last week, US president Donald Trump described McGregor as “great” when asked who his favourite Irish person was.

Mr Trump said the MMA fighter had the “best tattoos I’ve ever seen”.

“Conor’s great, right. But you have a lot of great Irish fighters actually, great fighters,” he said.

“Ireland’s always had a lot of good fighters.

“You know why, because they’re tough people, they’re smart people, and they’re passionate people.”

Mr McGregor’s visit to the White House comes months after he was found civilly liable in a High Court damages case in Dublin taken by a woman who accused him of rape.