Several Irish politicians slammed Conor McGregor's St. Patrick's Day visit to the White House while speaking in the Dáil Eireann and Seanad Éireann on Wednesday, March 19.
Wednesday was the first time the Dáil and Seanad sat since St. Patrick's Day, as well as the first time since the Taoiseach's meeting with US President Donald Trump on March 12.
On Monday - St. Patrick's Day - Conor McGregor made headlines when he said he was en route to the White House for a meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Taking questions from reporters in the White House briefing room, the Irish UFC fighter who was found liable for sexual assault in Dublin in November told reporters he was there to "raise the issues that the people of Ireland face."
Conor McGregor in the White House press briefing room ... #StPatricksDay 🍀 pic.twitter.com/aEZCv9rVQr
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) March 17, 2025
The visit was met with widespread outrage across Ireland, including from leading Irish politicians Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tanaiste Simon Harris who both said McGregor's views do not represent Ireland.
In the Dáil on Wednesday, TD Ruth Coppinger of People Before Profit asked the Taoiseach about his visit to the White House last week and McGregor's subsequent visit.
Prior to the St. Patrick's Day engagements, Coppinger urged fellow Irish politicians to boycott the events due to the US response in Gaza.
"I want you to comment on how he thinks your diplomatic mission went in the United States," Coppinger said in the Dáil on Wednesday.
"You said that Donald Trump was in pursuit of peace and about 48 hours later he colluded with a horrific massacre on Gaza in which 400 people died.
"You smiled and nodded as he [Trump] said his favorite person from Ireland was Conor McGregor.
"You stayed silent then you joked about your father being a boxer.
"And on St. Patrick's Day, two rapists met each other in the White House, two men found guilty by juries to be rapists.
"So, we had the sight on St. Patrick's Day of Conor McGregor representing this country's views - an insult to the country, an insult to your Government, actually, because he slated you and so much for your diplomatic mission with Trump - but an insult to women.
"When you normalize genocide and misogyny, this is what happens."
Coppinger added: "Your visit was completely obliterated and overshadowed by the real Donald Trump."
March 17, 2025: Conor McGregor and US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on St. Patrick's Day. (The White House, X)
Responding, the Taoiseach said the engagement "honors a long tradition of celebrating Irish America and the role it played in the building of America and the historic ties that exist."
The Taoiseach added that Coppinger has "had a very consistent anti-American position for decades," to which she replied, "Hilarious."
The Taoiseach went on to point out that "hundreds of thousands of jobs in this country depend on that economic relationship."
After some more pressing from Coppinger, the Taoiseach said he publicly stated his opinion on McGregor, adding that he has "no truck with the masculine toxicity of Mr. McGregor, but he is not a Member of this House."
Speaking later, Independent TD Paul Nicholas Gogarty congratulated the Taoiseach on "surviving a diplomatic balancing act at the White House last Wednesday."
Gogarty continued: "I am sure he will agree the decision to invite a thug in a suit on our actual national day to what in effect was a rapists' convention was a gross insult to the people of Ireland and especially to the women of Ireland.
"In one context, we can shrug it off but at another level, this represents a deliberate if not pathetic attempt to interfere in our electoral processes given that said individual has on multiple occasions indicated he wishes to run for the Presidency.
"That Administration may not understand our nomination process but it wanted to send a message nonetheless. Is there a protocol for calling out such blatant interference? If there is not, perhaps it is time we developed one."
Responding to Gogarty, the Taoiseach said: "I am not too sure it is an election interference event. In terms of Mr. McGregor, as I have articulated publicly, I fundamentally disagree with what he said. In some respects, perhaps, he craves attention."
March 17, 2025: Conor McGregor with his partner Dee Devlin and their children, Elon Musk, and US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on St. Patrick's Day. (The White House, X)
Meanwhile, in the Seanad on Wednesday, Fianna Fáil Senator Fiona O'Loughlin said: "I was appalled to see the way Conor McGregor was feted in the White House. He is somebody who has a civil court ruling against him. It sent a very poor message, and it was very poor judgment to invite him to represent Ireland, as such, on St. Patrick's Day.
"We have no control over who the President of America invites, but I stand with Nikita Hand and with victims.
"The Government of Ireland has a zero-tolerance approach to sexual and gender-based violence. It is important to note that here."
Later, Independent Senator Tom Clonan said: "On St. Patrick's Day, we had the spectacle of two rapists grinning, smirking and laughing from the Oval Office, with one of them purporting to represent the people of Ireland.
"We really need to stand firm and I praise the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste on their condemnation and rebuttal of that individual, whose name I will not mention here.
"However, if we are serious about sex offenders, sexual abuse and toxic masculinity, it is really important we ensure that the voices of boys and men who are survivors of sexual abuse are listened to, because it is the same toxic dynamic."
Sinn Féin Senator Pauline Tully said she echoed Clonan and O'Loughlin's comments, adding: "We have many wonderful ambassadors from the worlds of sport, theatre and music and from other fields who could have represented our values in the White House, and he is not one of them.
"I am loath to mention his name but he does not represent the vast majority of the people of Ireland and should never have got the platform he did."
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