As Western leaders betray their people, one Irish legend will not allow his country to go down without a fight.
Former UFC champion Conor McGregor has taken a bold stand against his government’s attempt to swell the voter rolls in Ireland by appealing to noncitizens.
In taking this stand, McGregor made it clear that he has not forgotten 23-year-old Ashling Murphy, an Irish primary school teacher stabbed to death in broad daylight in January 2022.
According to The Guardian, an Irish court convicted 33-year-old Jozef Puska of Murphy’s murder. A Slovak national, Puska had lived in Ireland for 10 years.
Unsurprisingly, it turns out that Puska spent those years jobless and living on welfare.
In a clip posted Tuesday on the social media platform X, Irish journalist Ben Scallan posed a question to Micheal Martin — Ireland’s deputy head of government — on behalf of Ryan Casey, Murphy’s boyfriend.
In short, Casey wanted to know how someone like the convicted murderer Puska could have lived so long in Ireland at taxpayers’ expense.
After offering the platitudinous condolences typical of politicians, Martin cited “free mobility” within the European Union. He also noted “various entitlements,” as if that could possibly answer Casey’s question.
“There are various entitlements”: Micheál Martin responds to a question by Ryan Casey, boyfriend of Ashling Murphy, about how Slovak killer Jozef Puska came to Ireland to be jobless on welfare for a decade. Question by @Ben_Scallan.#gript pic.twitter.com/IEfa3TDKI7
— gript (@griptmedia) November 21, 2023
This left McGregor incensed.
“What are we doing/what have we done to ensure this situation doesn’t happen again, Micheál? Since the heinous and horrific murder of an Irish citizen in broad daylight at the hands of a foreign criminal there has been a zero action response from the 3 parties in power,” the former UFC champion wrote as part of a lengthy post.
McGregor added the hashtags #ForAshling and #ForIreland.
What are we doing/what have we done to ensure this situation doesn’t happen again, Micheál? Since the heinous and horrific murder of an Irish citizen in broad daylight at the hands of a foreign criminal there has been a zero action response from the 3 parties in power. Nothing at… https://t.co/EZpu40Ql8R
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 21, 2023
Then, things got worse.
On Tuesday, Irish Taoiseach (i.e. head of government) Leo Varadkar posted a video urging migrants to register to vote.
The next day, Gript Media’s John McGuirk blasted Ireland’s current laws allowing noncitizens to vote as “ludicrous.”
According to the Irish news site BreakingNews.ie, Ireland’s Central Statistics Office reported in October that 12 percent of the Irish population now consists of noncitizens.
McGregor then shared McGuirk’s commentary and again unleashed on the Irish government.
“Imagine a mega power nation allowing this absolute foolishness!! Imagine the United States!” he said.
“This is the most preposterous, ridiculous, scheming attempt at gaining votes this government has attempted yet,” the former MMA star said. “A real showing of the lack of care they have for the common Irish citizen. As it stands they do not have my vote. Shame on them!”
Imagine a mega power nation allowing this absolute foolishness!! Imagine the United States! This is the most preposterous, ridiculous, scheming attempt at gaining votes this government has attempted yet. A real showing of the lack of care they have for the common Irish citizen.… https://t.co/1zqiJJ7hZk
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 22, 2023
Minutes later, McGregor amplified his argument and used the same hashtags he included the previous day.
“US allows non residents to vote? Visitors can vote? I can fly in now and register a vote in the United States elections? Surely not. However, Ireland’s current government is proposing this. A disgrace! A shame! Hang their heads in shame! #ForAshling #ForIreland,” he posted.
US allows non residents to vote? Visitors can vote? I can fly in now and register a vote in the United States elections? Surely not. However, Ireland’s current government is proposing this. A disgrace! A shame! Hang their heads in shame! #ForAshling #ForIreland
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 22, 2023
Sadly, McGregor gave the U.S. too much credit.
Although noncitizens cannot vote in U.S. federal or state elections, they can vote in some local elections. In fact, the nation’s capital, Washington, passed a law allowing noncitizens to vote in a number of different elections, including for mayor and City Council. Boston also has considered granting voting rights in local elections to some noncitizens.
Do you agree with Conor McGregor?
Yes: 100% (33 Votes)
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Still, McGregor had it right. If violence against women and children does not awaken Westerners to the perils of unchecked immigration, then nothing will.
Meanwhile, politicians have responded by trying to register as many noncitizen voters as possible.
Small wonder, therefore, that McGregor described his home country’s turmoil in the strongest possible terms.
“Ireland, we are at war,” he said Wednesday on social media.
Ireland, we are at war.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 22, 2023
That prescient post came one day before a man identified by Gript as “an Algerian national in his 50s who came to Ireland several decades ago” wounded five people, including three children, in a knife attack that triggered riots in the Irish capital of Dublin.
Indeed, the long-simmering immigration crisis appears poised to boil over throughout the West.
