WE DON'T FANCY A MAC AND DONALD'S

Taoiseach hits out after McGregor's White House rant to Trump over immigration here. | Visit just months after Nikita's civil case win after she accused fighter of rape.

- DAVID YOUNG AND CATE MCCURRY

POLITICAL leaders have insisted Conor McGregor does not speak for Ireland after the fighter visited the White House for a St Patrick's Day meeting with Donald Trump.

The Irish mixed martial arts fighter was welcomed to the White House yesterday, telling reporters in the West Wing he was going to voice concerns about immigration issues in Ireland.

McGregor, who has previously stated an intent to run for the Irish presidency, claimed the Irish government was one of "zero action with zero accountability".

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who confirmed McGregor was to meet the US President yesterday, said the administration could not think of a "better guest to have with us on St Patrick's Day".

McGregor's visit to the White House came months after he was found civilly liable in a High Court damages case in Dublin taken by a woman who accused him of rape. Nikita Hand, also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, won her claim against McGregor after accusing the professional fighter of raping her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.

Ms Hand, 35, was awarded damages and costs after a threeweek trial last year in which the jury found him civilly liable for assault.

A judge at the High Court in Dublin later said the jury had "conclusively determined" that McGregor had raped Ms Hand.

McGregor is appealing against the outcome of the civil case. In response to McGregor's comments yesterday, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said his claims were "wrong", and did not reflect the views of Irish people.