Just recently, Ireland’s Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien compared MMA fighter Conor McGregor to the country’s outgoing President Michael D Higgins (a former arts minister and sociology lecturer).
He noted in a statement that McGregor can legally challenge the process to get on the presidential ballot paper but that the Irish constitution is “clear”. “The constitution is clear on that, the nomination process is clear.”
Minister O’Brien is referring to McGregor’s recent comments to a prominent media house. The latter had noted that he is considering a legal challenge to the eligibility rules for the presidential elections of Ireland.
Can Conor McGregor be a presidential candidate for Ireland?
The issue for Conor McGregor is that to be a presidential candidate in Ireland, he most be nominated by either 20 members of the parliament or 4 local authorities – in addition to being a 35-year-old or more Irish citizen.
So far, a couple of candidates have secured the right amount of nominations to get in the ballot. This list includes Mairead McGuinness, a former farming journalist and EU commissioner, and Catherine Connolly, an independent presidential candidate.
The election for the largely ceremonial role in Ireland’s political landscape is expected to be conducted in October 2025. It must take place in the 60 days before outgoing President D Higgins’ term ends later this year.
