Let’s start here:
"The one thing that unifies Irish people more than anything else is their hatred for Conor McGregor."@seannhickey: There's nobody worse suited than Conor McGregor to represent Ireland in the White House.@LauraBeveridge7 pic.twitter.com/78Bht0LHas
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) March 18, 2025
A woman who accused Conor McGregor of raping her won her civil case against the Irish mixed martial arts fighter, with a jury ordering him to pay more than €248,000 (£206,000) in damages.
The High Court in Dublin found that McGregor had assaulted Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018. Speaking outside the court, Ms Hand described the ruling as a reminder that “no matter how afraid you might be to speak up, you have a voice”.
McGregor, who denied the allegations, announced his intention to appeal the verdict in a post on X, thanking his supporters and stating that he was “focused on [his] future”.
Civil Case Verdict
The jury deliberated for a day before returning its verdict that McGregor had assaulted Ms Hand. She had also accused another man, James Lawrence, of assault, but the jury found that he had not committed any offence.
Ms Hand, a 35-year-old hair colourist, was left with extensive bruises and abrasions following the attack. She testified that McGregor had pinned her to a bed and placed her in a chokehold. Medical reports presented to the court noted significant bruising and a bloodied scratch on her breast. A paramedic testified that she had “not seen someone so bruised in a long time”.
The court heard that Ms Hand’s life had been severely impacted by the incident, forcing her to leave her job, end her relationship, and struggle financially. She had to abandon counselling sessions due to an inability to afford them and spent more than €4,000 on medical expenses.
McGregor, however, claimed that any bruising could have resulted from Ms Hand “swan diving” into the hotel bath.
During the trial, it was revealed that McGregor, Ms Hand, and others had been drinking heavily and taking cocaine throughout the night leading up to the assault. The jury heard that the group had been partying from the evening of 8 December into the morning of 9 December, with drug use playing a role in the events of the night.
Controversial White House Meeting
Three months after the verdict, McGregor faced fresh criticism following his meeting with Donald Trump at the White House on St Patrick’s Day. An Irish rape crisis charity described the visit as “sinister”, suggesting it was an attempt to “launder” the fighter’s reputation.
Rachel Morrogh, chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, wrote to the US embassy in Dublin to express concerns over the meeting. She argued that it sent a dangerous message: “There is a path to redemption leading directly to the White House.”
During his visit, McGregor took the opportunity to criticise the Irish government’s immigration policies, claiming that some rural towns were being “overrun in one swoop”. His remarks were widely condemned by Irish leaders, including the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe.
Despite his conviction in the civil case, McGregor continued to maintain his innocence and garnered support from figures such as Andrew Tate and anti-immigration campaigners. Some believed his public interventions on political issues were part of a strategy to position himself for a potential presidential run in Ireland later that year.
Public Response
The people have spoken on social media following McGregor being nicknamed Andrew Tayto for his anti-immigrant and toxic masculine stance:
Every time I give up on people, someone starts calling Conor McGregor "Andrew Tayto" and my faith in the world is restored.
— The Emmageddon (@The_Emmageddon) March 18, 2025
The Irish are calling this POS #AndrewTayto
— Iceberg Lady🇵🇸🌏 🌈🖤💛❤️NO WAR💧 (@muzzlefreemadam) March 19, 2025
Tayto are the best chips hands down, the Irish ppl are incredibly stoic, welcoming and decent.
However, there’s always one who serves as rot.
This is it. ⬇️ https://t.co/eXkctcCvZ0
Conor McGregor being called Andrew Tayto.
— Deirdre (@intheWildHills) March 19, 2025
😁😅
It's with rapier wit the world is saved, I swear to God.
Im still wheezing:
— Roy Sholay 🇲🇺🦤 (@ephemeral1107) March 18, 2025
My pal and I chatting about Cuntor McCuntor and he said “he’s like an Irish Andrew Tate: Andrew Tayto” and I had Sprite flying out my nose and choking like fuck #AndrewTayto 🤣🤣
My son told me the cool kids have started referring to McRapist as Andrew Tayto. Made me chuckle.
— GetDragons (@get_dragons) March 19, 2025
What Andrew Tayto does not understand is that decent people think he is a **** that surrounds himself with ****’s, and that will not change until he and his kind stop being ****’s.
