66/1 Conor McGregor Will Not Fight for Irish President Role

by Roy Brindley, 16 September 2025

Jim Gavin is favourite to win the Irish presidential race as Conor McGregor drops out of the reckoning.

Conor McGregor no longer has his hat in the ring for the role of Irish President. © Getty Images

Key Facts:

• Conor McGregor is out of the Irish presidential race.
• Three candidates have secured enough support to be on the election ballot.
• Jim Gavin, backed by Fianna Fáil, is the bookies’ favourite.
• Irish Presidential Election is due to take place on October 24.

Former MMA star Conor McGregor has withdrawn from the upcoming Irish presidential race. McGregor had been pursuing vital nominations from local authorities to secure a place on the ballot.

His chances were always forlorn. Online betting sites had quoted McGregor, who recently lost his appeal against a November 2024 High Court jury’s finding that he raped a woman in a Dublin hotel room, on dismissive 66/1 odds.

In a statement on his X account that boasts over 10 million followers, the 37-year-old explained: “Following careful reflection, and after consulting with my family, I am withdrawing my candidacy from this presidential race.”

“This was not an easy decision, but it is the right one at this moment in time”, he said. “I want to assure the people of Ireland that this will not be my last election. You will see me canvassing again in the future,” he added.

Jim Gavin, with the Support, Is Favourite

The 2025 Irish presidential election is due to take place on October 24, 2025. It will determine the tenth President of Ireland. The incumbent President, Michael D. Higgins, has served his maximum two seven-year terms permitted under the Irish Constitution.

In addition to presidential candidates needing to be Irish citizens aged 35-plus, entry criteria states that candidates must have a nomination either from 20 Oireachtas – members of the Dáil (Parliament) and Seanad (the upper house, which has 60 Senators/members) or from four of Ireland’s 31 local authorities.

So far, three candidates have secured enough support to be on the ballot ahead of the October 24 election. Jim Gavin, the favourite, has been chosen by Fianna Fáil, the largest party in the Irish Parliament, currently led by Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin.

Hovering around even-money, Gavin, 54, is widely regarded as one of the most successful managers in Irish sport. He guided Dublin’s Gaelic football team to six All-Ireland Senior Championship victories between 2012 and 2019.

Fianna Fáil’s presidential candidate Jim Gavin addressing the media

He is asked to outline some of his views. Not on video, but he confirms he voted to reapreal the 8th amendment pic.twitter.com/WbO5JiSAk3

— Louise Burne (@louiseburne_) September 9, 2025

The market principal also served for two decades in the Irish Defence Forces, reaching the position of Commandant (equivalent to Major and Squadron Leader), and currently holds a senior position as an aviation regulator.

Fine Gael, a centre-right party in Ireland’s coalition Government, has nominated its former deputy leader, Heather Humphreys. A seasoned cabinet minister with 13 years in Parliament (the Dáil), she previously oversaw portfolios ranging from social protection, rural development, and the arts and heritage.

While the sports betting arm of Irish online casino site, BoyleSports, quotes the 65-year-old on 5/2 odds, other bookmakers rate her chances at 7/2. Humphreys was trading as the 5/4 favourite just three weeks ago.

Connolly, the Left-Winger, Has a Hope

Being an independent backed by some left-wing parties – Labour, the Social Democrats, and People Before Profit – the third confirmed candidate, Catherine Connolly, has a profile similar to the current President, Michael D. Higgins.

Representing Galway West in the lower house of the Irish Parliament, Dáil Éireann, since 2016, Connolly has also worked as a barrister and clinical psychologist and served as deputy speaker of the Dáil for four years. She was the Mayor of Galway from 2004 until 2005.

Mary Lou McDonald, leader of Sinn Féin (the main opposition party in the Irish Parliament), has said her party will disclose on September 20 whether it will field its own candidate or back Catherine Connolly’s presidential election campaign.

6/4 in late August, Connolly is currently trading on 5/1. Such is the volatility of this market, just a week ago the 68-year-old could have been backed at odds of 12/1.

Not a Dancer but a Dark Horse for 3.5 Million Voters

Other prospective candidates have until September 24 to secure a nomination. As well as Conor McGregor, celebrities Bob Geldof and Michael Flatley, a resident of Monaco famed for his Riverdance, have also reconsidered their bid for the role.

A dark horse is Maria Steen. A barrister by profession, described as a “Conservative campaigner” who voted ‘No’ in abortion and equality referendums. The independent, 9/1 with the bookies, is a mother of five who homeschools her children and is a member of the Catholic advocacy group, the Iona Institute.

The Irish presidential election employs a proportional representation system known as the Single Transferable Vote, whereby voters rank candidates in order of numerical preference. Around 3.5 million Irish residents are eligible to vote.