Sarah Harte: Why dismissing Conor McGregor’s presidential dreams is a mistake — and a warning

Conor McGregor’s presidential hints are laughable — but Ireland’s shifting political landscape makes his populist appeal worth watching

Last week, Donald Trump’s favourite Irish person, notorious 36-year-old UFC fighter Conor McGregor, announced on Instagram that he intended to run for the Aras.

President Michael D Higgins completes two terms in office in November. A motley crew is dropping hints that they would be willing to run for the Aras if they got the nod, provoking the thought that if only you and I possessed one whit of that confidence, we could conquer the world. 

Names as varied as Tommy Tiernan, Linda Martin, Fintan O’Toole, Michael McDowell, Frances Black, and Simon Coveney, to name but a few, have been mooted or failed to rule themselves out.