Former MMA fighter Conor McGregor has dropped his bid to contest the presidential election, claiming the process is “fixed”.
Mr McGregor was among a number of prospective candidates who were due to address county councils on Monday.
People who wish to enter the presidential election must get nominations from 20 Oireachtas members or four local authorities.
As of Monday, Mr McGregor had not secured any expressions of support from Oireachtas members or county councils and looked extremely unlikely to be able to secure a nomination.
RM Block
In a post on X early on Monday, Mr McGregor said he was withdrawing.
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“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. 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, to strengthen our economic opportunities, and to advocate for transparency and responsibility in public life at home.”
Mr McGregor said he had been “sincere and genuine” about his intentions to contest the election and had been “truly humbled” by the “support and encouragement” he had received.
He claimed the election eligibility rules in Ireland’s “outdated constitution” was a “straitjacket” that prevented a “true democratic presidential election being contested”.
Mr McGregor claimed the constitution ensured the election was “fixed to ensure only Establishment approved candidates may be selected on the ballot”.
Last year, Mr McGregor was ordered to pay Nikita Hand €250,000 in damages after a High Court jury found he had assaulted her in a Dublin hotel.
In July, he lost his appeal against the jury finding in favour of Ms Hand, who sued him over alleged rape at the Beacon hotel on December 9th, 2018.
Last week, Tánaiste Simon Harris said Mr McGregor “represents the very worst of us” and has “a negligible chance” of getting a nomination. “Conor McGregor is a person who has been found responsible for rape in a civil court in Ireland. That’s a statement of fact,” he said.
Monday has been described as a “super primary” day, with 11 councils due to hold special meetings to consider nominating a candidate.
The councils will hear pitches from aspiring candidates hoping to gain a place on the presidential ticket. Most will vote after their meeting, although some, such as Kildare, will defer their votes until the following week.
Thirteen further councils have arranged for meetings to be held ahead of the final deadline for nominations on September 24th.
Former minister Heather Humphreys is running for Fine Gael, while Fianna Fáil has chosen former Dublin GAA manager Jim Gavin as its candidate. Independent TD Catherine Connolly is the third confirmed candidate. Sinn Féin is to decide next week whether or not to run a candidate.
