On March 17, 2025, Conor McGregor, the Irish mixed martial arts star, took to the White House briefing room during a St. Patrick’s Day visit to deliver a fiery message to the world: Ireland, he claimed, is being “overrun” by migrants due to an “illegal immigration racket.” Standing alongside White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, McGregor warned that entire rural towns in Ireland are becoming minority Irish “in one swoop,” suggesting that the country is on the cusp of “losing its Irishness.” He framed his visit as a mission to raise the issues faced by the Irish people, urging the 40 million Irish Americans to take note because, in his view, there might soon be “no place to come home to visit.” McGregor’s rhetoric, amplified by his meeting with President Donald Trump, painted a dire picture of Ireland’s immigration situation, resonating with some conservative voices but drawing sharp rebukes from Irish leadership.
 

McGregor’s comments, however, were met with immediate pushback from Ireland’s top officials, who argued that he neither represents the country nor its people. Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who had met with Trump earlier in the week for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, called McGregor’s remarks “wrong” and unreflective of the spirit of the holiday, which he described as rooted in community, humanity, and friendship. Tánaiste Simon Harris echoed this sentiment, stating on X that McGregor “does not speak for Ireland” and has “no mandate to,” emphasizing Ireland’s long history as a nation of emigrants and its economic reliance on openness, with 22% of its population born abroad—a point often highlighted during St. Patrick’s Day reflections. Critics also noted the irony of McGregor’s stance, given his own legal troubles, including a recent sexual assault liability ruling, which some argue undercuts his credibility as a spokesperson for national values.
 

The backdrop of McGregor’s statements reveals a broader tension in Ireland around immigration, a topic that has gained traction since the Dublin riots in November 2023, fueled by anti-immigrant sentiment. While McGregor’s claims of towns being “overrun” align with some posts on X warning of Ireland “losing its homeland,” they lack concrete data—official figures show Ireland’s foreign-born population contributes significantly to its thriving economy, with the country near the top of EU nations for migrant share. Historically, St. Patrick’s Day has been a moment to reflect on migration, as St. Patrick himself was a migrant, trafficked to Ireland as a slave before becoming its patron saint. McGregor’s narrative, while attention-grabbing, oversimplifies a complex issue, ignoring Ireland’s legacy of emigration and the positive framing of migration by leaders like Archbishop Eamon Martin, who in past years has called for tolerance and an “honest conversation” about the topic, highlighting the disconnect between McGregor’s alarmism and the broader Irish experience.