“Ireland needs an active President employed wholly by the people of Ireland. It is me. I am the only logical choice.” Conor McGregor turned all eyes upon him in 2024 when he publicly announced his desire to run for the next Presidential election. Of course, not many were happy about the MMA star’s declaration. While most fans were upset because they hadn’t seen McGregor fight for more than 3 years, others were skeptical regarding his partying habits and legal troubles.
However, ‘Mystic Mac’ didn’t give up. He stood true to his stance and even went on to meet Donald Trump at the Oval Office on St. Patrick’s Day 2025. But the world still wondered if ‘The Notorious’ was actually eligible to make his stand as a presidential candidate. And if you’re also wondering the same, then come join us as we take a dive into the subject.
Does Conor McGregor clear the eligibility criteria for the 2025 Irish presidential run?
In order to compete for votes to become the President of Ireland, the candidate must be a citizen of Ireland. The candidate must also be at least 35 years old. And in the case of the former UFC double champion, he definitely fulfills the criteria to begin his presidential campaign. However, there is still one criterion that might pose a strong hurdle for the Irish mixed martial artist in his quest to become the next Irish President.
To compete in the Irish presidential race, a candidate must get nominated by either a minimum of 4 local councils or at least 20 members of the House of the Oireachtas. And for Conor McGregor, the probability of securing a nomination is way too low. The reason? Almost every member of the House of the Oireachtas is affiliated with one party or the other. This means, that they wouldn’t want a candidate who doesn’t belong to their party, to compete and/or win the election. And this pulls McGregor way down in his quest.
Professor Gail McElroy, a celebrated political scientist from the Trinity College of Dublin weighed in on ‘The Notorious’ as a presidential candidate. In an interview with Sky News, she said, “There’s two hurdles. First, you have to get nominated and then you have to win a majority of the vote. Both of those hurdles are almost insurmountable. There’s a lot of [Oireachtas members] – 60 senators and 174 TDs [Irish MPs], but most of those are party affiliated and they won’t nominate [McGregor].”
However, ‘Mystic Mac’ still has a chance to get nominated. Well, it’s not uncommon for the local authorities to nominate presidential candidates. Now, it’s all up to Donald Trump’s favorite Irish person to convince the city councils to nominate him. And if he gets the nomination that he so desperately needs, will the people of Ireland vote for McGregor?
Should the people of Ireland vote for ‘Mystic Mac’?
Back when he visited Washington to meet the POTUS, McGregor, in his speech, declared an open war on the illegal immigration racket. To substantiate his stance, ‘The Notorious’ took to X on 20 March 2025, and claimed that Ireland must implement the EU Migration Pact by 12 June 2026. And for this, the Irish parliament has to pass several pieces of legislation and the President has to sign them up. But come 11 November 2025, the Presidential powers will experience a shift.
McGregor claimed, “The next presidential election must take place by 11 Nov 2025. Who else will stand up to Government and oppose this bill? Any other Presidential candidate they attempt to put forward will be of no resistance to them. I will!” He continued, “For clarity also, as President, I would put forth this bill to referendum. This is the future of Ireland with me as President. All citizens of Ireland to have a voice and a choice on their future!”
Needless to say, the former UFC champ-champ isn’t one to give up easily. We can certainly expect him to go on and secure a nomination from the local councils and enter the ballot. But the outcome of the elections is something that only time can tell. And if McGregor does become the next President of Ireland, we as MMA fans would definitely miss his return to the Octagon and finish the final two acts on his UFC contract. Nevertheless, all we can do is wish him the best.
What are your thoughts on McGregor running in the presidential race? Do you think he has a fair chance of winning the election this year? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.
The post Is Conor McGregor Eligible for Ireland’s Presidential Run This Year? appeared first on EssentiallySports.
