Conor McGregor has asked his online supporters to lobby advisers whose support could secure him a path to run in the Irish presidential election. McGregor said last week that he had already "secured" the support of administration advisers and senators.
The former mixed martial arts champion posted a video to his social media channels on Thursday filmed outside government buildings in Dublin 2.
“We have seen Irish child homelessness rise to unprecedented levels, demonstrating this Government’s refusal to uphold and respect our declaration that all Irish children are to be valued. Instead, our children have been abandoned,” he said. “This incompetent failure of future generations has been accompanied by an intense influx of mass migration into an already divided system. Our tourism has fallen sharply, while the danger on our roads has increased.”
McGregor described himself as a "master of combative fighting" and a "solutions-oriented man."
He called on his followers to contact local councilors on his behalf.
"If you want to see my name on the ballot for the presidency, I urge you to contact your local county councilors today and ask them to nominate me," he said in a social media post.
"Our councillors are the backbone of our communities. They work harder and deliver more for the people than those in the Oireachtas, who continue to fail this country time and time again."
“If you are a councilor and you feel like your voice is being ignored, your hands are tied, and your community is being overlooked, then I ask you to stand with me. Nominate me and I will give you the platform and the power to truly be heard.”
Last week, McGregor claimed that "I have it covered."
"I have councils on board, TDs, senators. I even have the most prestigious party of them all. Now it's about choosing my affiliation."
To secure a nomination to stand, McGregor would need the support of four local authorities or 20 members of the Oireachtas.
His name has not yet appeared on any list of candidates who have contacted the councils seeking the opportunity to lobby for their support.
Last year, McGregor was ordered to pay Nikita Hand €250,000 in damages after a High Court jury found he had assaulted her in a Dublin hotel.
In July, McGregor lost his appeal against a jury verdict in favor of Ms. Hand, who sued him for alleged rape at the Beacon Hotel on December 9, 2018.
The appeal ordered that Ms Hand should bear her own costs in the High Court and the appeal court against McGregor.
To secure a nomination through local authorities, a candidate must receive the support of four of the state's 31 councils.
An alternative way to get on the ballot is to gain the support of 20 city councilors and senators.
McGregor joins a growing list of individuals seeking to secure a nomination to run for president through the council route.
These include businessman Gareth Sheridan, lawyer Nick Delehanty and former Met Éireann weather forecaster Joanna Donnelly.
