CONOR McGregor needs to be “dealt with”, Fine Gael TDs and Senators were told last night.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Justice Minister Helen McEntee heard at their party’s weekly meeting that the fighter who is being investigated by gardai for inflammatory statements made online needed to be “taken down a peg or two”.
It follows statements made by the MMA man on social media, declaring “Ireland, we are at war” and “you reap what you sow” in the aftermath of last week’s Dublin riots.
Mary Seery Kearney, a Senator in Dublin South Central told the Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting in Leinster House that she feared the fighter is dangerously close to inciting hatred.
She said: “Conor McGregor needs to be dealt with. Appalling behaviour.
“Has to be visibly dealt with, he owns half of Crumlin and that man needs to be taken down a peg or two.”
McGregor subsequently took to social media last Friday to condemn those responsible for last week’s riots and the damage that they had caused.
In an interview with the Irish Sun, the party’s spokesperson on youth branded some of the star’s comments as “dangerous to young men” and likened some of his social media behaviour to Donald Trump.
She said: “A long time ago I thought Conor McGregor was fantastic. Here was a local lad done good, he went in, trained, became top of his profession, went off and made a lot of money for himself and I was thrilled with that.
“That fact alone puts him in a place where he has enormous influence. We saw it in fashion, everybody was wearing tweed suits, waistcoats and beards.
“He has a huge influence, particularly on young men.”
But she said: “The manner in which he speaks is an appalling use of that influence. His statements could in my personal opinion (be interpreted as) an incitement to hatred.
“The fact is you have young people who are maybe not always have role models in their life so they look to him, they aspire to be him and it’s a duty in a position like that to be very careful in how they use their influence.”
The qualified barrister and former councillor for the area which includes Crumlin believes the fighter – branded a “gobdaw” in the Dail by Labour TD Aodhan O’Riordain on Wednesday – is undermining the work being done locally to help people.
She said: “He comes from Crumlin boxing club which has fantastic mentors in there, guys who work hard all day every day changing lives and giving people a really good steer.
“Conor McGregor needs to jump on board the positivity and not the carry on that he’s doing.
“I thought (he) was quite Trump-like on Thursday.”
She fears some of his comments are “dangerous as far as young men are concerned.”
Senator Kearney said her party colleagues agreed with her statements on Wednesday night at the Leinster House meeting.
She added: “If the gardai are looking into it as incitement to hatred that’s a matter for the gardai and the courts.
“I’m in community WhatsApp groups from all over the constituency and people posted screenshots of what he said saying ‘oh my god this is just dreadful’.
“You’re already dealing with people who need to be nurtured, people are working very hard to keep these young people on the straight and narrow and Conor McGregor in the middle of it.
“His tweets are not helpful.”
Last Friday, McGregor condemned the riots as “despicable” on X, formerly Twitter, posting that “I do not condone last night’s riots. I do not condone any attacks on our first responders in their line of duty.
“I do not condone looting and the damaging of shops. Last night’s scenes achieved nothing toward fixing the issues we face.”
When contacted for a response to Senator Kearney’s concerns and criticism, representatives for McGregor told the Irish Sun that the MMA star is “…choosing to speak exclusively through his social media . Should that change, we will be in touch.”
