The 'Make Ireland Great Again' Movement: 5 Shocking Truths About Conor McGregor's Populist Presidential Bid
The phrase "Make Ireland Great Again" (MIGA) has exploded from a political slogan into a full-blown social phenomenon, capturing the tension and frustration currently simmering within the Republic of Ireland. As of late 2025, this movement has become inextricably linked to the presidential ambitions of one of Ireland's most polarizing figures, former UFC champion Conor McGregor, who has vowed to challenge the political establishment and push for radical policy changes.
The MIGA slogan is a direct, deliberate echo of Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again," signaling a new wave of right-wing populism that has found fertile ground amidst Ireland’s escalating housing crisis, infrastructure strain, and contentious immigration debate. The movement’s rise reflects a profound shift in Irish politics, where traditional parties are facing unprecedented challenges from voices promising a return to an idealized, and hotly debated, version of the nation’s past.
Conor Anthony McGregor: A Brief Biography and Political Profile
The figurehead of the "Make Ireland Great Again" rhetoric is the former two-division Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion, Conor McGregor. His transition from global sports icon to political firebrand has been rapid and controversial.
- Full Name: Conor Anthony McGregor
- Born: 14 July 1988 (Dublin, Ireland)
- Primary Career: Professional Mixed Martial Artist (MMA), former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight Champion.
- Political Ambition: Has repeatedly stated his intention to run for President of Ireland in the upcoming 2025 Irish presidential election.
- Political Stance: Strongly anti-establishment and anti-immigration, aligning with populist movements globally. He has explicitly stated he would challenge the Irish government and call for a referendum on the EU Migration Pact.
- Key Slogan: "Make Ireland Great Again" (MIGA).
- Notable Association: Has been referred to as "Trump's favourite Irishman" and has met with the former US President.
The Core Issues Driving the MIGA Movement
The appeal of "Make Ireland Great Again" is rooted in a cocktail of genuine socioeconomic anxieties and a growing cultural conservatism. While the slogan itself is simple, the grievances it taps into are complex and multi-layered, moving beyond simple political rivalry to touch on the very fabric of Irish society.
1. The Unprecedented Housing and Cost-of-Living Crisis
The single most potent issue fueling MIGA's popularity is Ireland's severe housing crisis. For years, a chronic shortage of affordable housing and skyrocketing rents have pushed young and working-class Irish citizens to the brink.
MIGA proponents link the crisis directly to the recent surge in net migration, arguing that the influx of asylum seekers and economic migrants is placing an unbearable strain on already depleted resources.
Critics, including economic analysts, argue that while migration contributes to demand, the crisis is fundamentally a failure of long-term government planning and supply, with the housing shortage expected to persist for at least another 15 years regardless of migration levels.
2. The Controversial EU Migration Pact
A central pillar of McGregor’s political platform and the MIGA movement is a fierce opposition to the European Union's Migration and Asylum Pact.
The Pact, which aims to create a common EU framework for managing asylum claims and sharing responsibility, is viewed by MIGA supporters as an erosion of national sovereignty and a mechanism that will force Ireland to accept a disproportionate number of migrants. McGregor has promised to put the Pact to a national referendum, a move that resonates with a segment of the electorate wary of increasing EU centralization.
3. The Debate Over 'Irishness' and National Identity
At its heart, MIGA is a movement about identity. The slogan "Make Ireland Great Again" begs the question: When exactly was Ireland "great"?
- The Populist View: Proponents often look back to a time of stronger cultural homogeneity, before the Celtic Tiger era and the rapid social liberalization of the last few decades. This vision often romanticizes a version of traditional Irish nationalism.
- The Counter-Argument: Critics point out that the historical "greatness" of Ireland is a myth, citing centuries of mass emigration, the Great Famine, and periods of severe poverty and social repression under a dominant Catholic hegemony. They argue that the MIGA movement seeks to reverse social progress, not restore a golden age.
This ideological clash is often expressed through public protests, where MIGA-associated groups carry placards with slogans like "Irish Lives Matter" and "Ireland is Full," directly challenging the country's long-standing reputation for welcoming immigrants.
The Global Ripple Effect of Populist Rhetoric
The rise of "Make Ireland Great Again" cannot be isolated from the global surge in populist movements. Political analysts view the MIGA phenomenon as Ireland's delayed entry into a trend that has swept across Europe and the United States.
The strategies are familiar: a charismatic, anti-establishment figure (McGregor) uses social media to bypass traditional media filters, focusing on the perceived failures of the political elite (Dáil Éireann, the existing government coalition) and channeling public frustration into a simple, emotionally charged call to action.
This new brand of Irish populism is highly effective because it directly links the visible problem (homelessness, long hospital waiting lists, strain on the Direct Provision system) to a single, easily identifiable cause (uncontrolled migration).
Whether Conor McGregor successfully secures the necessary nominations for the 2025 presidential election is a major point of political speculation. Even if his bid fails, the MIGA movement has already achieved its primary goal: it has toxified the immigration debate, forced the issue to the forefront of national conversation, and demonstrated the potent electoral threat posed by a celebrity-driven, populist campaign in modern Ireland.
The challenge for Ireland's established political parties (like Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil) is to address the underlying issues—the housing crisis and cost-of-living pressures—while simultaneously countering the divisive rhetoric of a movement that promises a return to a "greatness" many argue never truly existed.
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