Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor has withdrawn from Ireland's presidential election race, announcing his decision on social media on Monday. The sportsman had been scheduled to address Dublin City Council and Kildare County Council meetings later that day to secure nominations for the October ballot.
To qualify for the presidential election, candidates must receive nominations from either 20 members of the Irish parliament or four local authorities. All candidates must also be Irish citizens over 35 years of age.
McGregor explained his withdrawal in a social media post, stating: "Following careful reflection, and after consulting with my family, I am withdrawing my candidacy from this presidential race. This was not an easy decision, but it is the right one at this moment in time."
Constitutional criticism
The fighter criticised Ireland's election eligibility requirements, describing the constitution as "outdated" and claiming the rules created a "straitjacket" that prevented proper democratic elections. He argued the system was "fixed to ensure only Establishment approved candidates may be selected on the ballot".
McGregor claimed his candidacy had exposed what he called a "democratic deficit against the will of the Irish people". He wrote: "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."
Legal background
Earlier this year, McGregor lost his appeal against a civil jury finding in favour of Dublin woman Nikita Hand, who accused him of rape. Hand successfully sued McGregor over an alleged incident at a south Dublin hotel penthouse in December 2018.
The court awarded Hand almost 250,000 euros in damages, while McGregor was ordered to pay approximately 1.3 million euros in legal costs following the November trial.
Future political plans
Despite withdrawing from the current race, McGregor insisted his political ambitions remain active. He wrote: "While I will not contest this election, my commitment to Ireland does not end here. I will continue to serve my people by using my international platform to promote Irish interests abroad."
The fighter promised future electoral participation, stating: "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."
Current candidate field
Former government minister Heather Humphreys is running for Fine Gael in the October 24th election, while ex-Dublin Gaelic football manager Jim Gavin represents Fianna Fail. Independent candidate Catherine Connolly has secured backing from several smaller parties.
Sinn Fein has not yet decided whether to field a candidate. Various other potential candidates are expected to address local authorities in coming days to secure the four nominations required for ballot access.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
