Conor McGregor has often spoken of his pride of representing his home country in athletic competition. Every ring walk of the Dubliner’s career has come complete with an Irish tricolour draped over his shoulders, a continuing source of pride and motivation for the fiercely patriotic fighter.
His role as perhaps the most famous Irish sporting export in years affords McGregor a range of options outside mixed martial arts for him to focus his entrepreneurial energies on supporting the communities which forged him and support him to this day. McGregor has been a noted donator to the Crumlin Children’s Hospital, the largest medical facility of its kind in Ireland and a fixture of the Dublin suburb from which he hails.
McGregor’s latest project sees the UFC’s first ever ‘champ champ’ building eight homes with the aim of supporting homeless families, something which McGregor said gives him “great pride”. The range of three bedroom homes will be offered to homeless families currently living in hostels in the Irish capital.
“Back on the site today, it has been a while. This is my first property development,” McGregor wrote on Instagram, accompanied by several pictures of the site.
“We have eight homes here closing in on finish. Three bedroom houses, designated for families that currently reside in hotels around the capital, without a home to call their own. But not for long. Through the storm comes the sun!
“Walking around this land and these homes today, meeting all the neighbors, knowing that soon there will be families living here, creating their own memories, and building back their lives, gives me great pride!
“Ireland forever! Ireland first! Ireland always!”
The gesture was noted by Paddy Holohan, the former training partner of McGregor and five-time UFC fighter who is currently running for political party Sinn Fein ahead of upcoming local elections on May 24.
Replying to the Instagram post, Holohan wrote: “On a day where (Irish political parties Fianna Fail and Fine Gael) voted against the right to housing to be enshrined in our constitution. You be proud brother inspiring stuff.”
McGregor’s move comes at a time where Ireland, and particularly Dublin, is suffering from a housing crisis which has seen rental and purchase prices skyrocket, forcing numerous families out of the market and into temporary accommodation.
Main image: Instagram/@thenotoriousmma
