McGregor’s exploits pack a punch online

Conor McGregor’s up-and-down year in MMA made him Ireland’s most googled sports personality, edging out Gareth Bale and the worldwide clicks leader, Oscar Pistorius.

Having signed a multi-fight deal at the UFC, a devastating knee injury at the back end of the year halted McGregor’s meteoric rise in the octagon.

Premier League football dominated the list for individual athletes in Ireland, while universal fascination with murder and scandal once again drove the international google trends.