Conor McGregor to Address Dublin City Council as Presidential Hopeful
Conor McGregor, the former MMA fighter, is scheduled to address a meeting of Dublin City Council next Monday as part of a process to nominate candidates for the upcoming presidential election. He is one of 12 hopefuls listed to speak to councillors next week, according to a list distributed on Thursday.
The council received twenty requests for nominations before last Friday’s deadline, but five have since withdrawn. Of the remaining fifteen, all but one have confirmed their eligibility to attend the special meeting. Two candidates are unable to attend in person due to scheduling conflicts with similar meetings in othre local authorities.
In a letter to councillors, McGregor stated his intention to utilize Articles 12 to 14 of the constitution to “restore political power to the Irish citizenry.” He proposes achieving this “through collaboration with the people of Ireland and Dáil Éireann to initiate constitutional amendments, enacted through public referendums, to return authority to the nation’s citizens.” He also wrote that Ireland “will once again operate under direct democracy,” without specifying a historical reference point.
The declaration comes after McGregor was ordered to pay €250,000 in damages to Nikita Hand last november following a High Court jury finding that he had assaulted her in a Dublin hotel. He subsequently lost an appeal against that ruling in July.
Other candidates seeking Dublin City Council’s nomination include businessman Gareth Sheridan, 2018 presidential candidate Peter Casey (who finished second in that contest), and barrister and conservative campaigner Maria Steen. While Peter Casey is listed as seeking the nomination, his attendance on Monday is not yet confirmed. Dolores Cahill, a former UCD professor known for her anti-vaccination advocacy during the Covid-19 pandemic, is also among those vying for the nomination.
McGregor’s letter to councillors highlights his sporting achievements and business investments in Ireland, claiming to have “directly helped create thousands of jobs.” He also emphasized his extensive online following,arguing it would allow him to connect with “younger generations who are increasingly disengaged from establishment politics,” making the Presidency “more visible,more relevant,and more inclusive” under his leadership.
