Can Conor McGregor speak Irish?

Undeniably, Conor McGregor is a proud Irishman. This can be seen with his walk-out song, Foggy Dew which is an Irish rebel song, alongside his thick Dublin accent. Of course, like most Irish people – Conor McGregor naturally speaks English. Despite being from Ireland, like most of the western world, English is his main tongue.

This has prompted fans of the MMA fighter to ask whether he can also speak Irish. During the press conference for his UFC fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov, Khabib criticized McGregor for failing to speak Irish. This fueled further speculation that McGregor couldn’t speak his mother tongue.

Specifically, the term used for this is called Gaelic which is a Celtic language that was originally used by Scottish and Irish tribes before English rule. Although Gaelic isn’t commonly spoken these days, it still has its roots in Ireland.

Can Conor McGregor speak Gaelic?

To an extent, Conor McGregor can speak Gaelic. However, he doesn’t know much and isn’t fluent. Having said this, his Gaelic is still far better than the average Irish person. In other words, it’s not perfect but he at least knows a few sayings. In the interview below, he is able to conversate with the reporter about his (then) future fight with Jose Aldo.

Here, Mcgregor says “I’m a bit rusty in speaking Irish, but I’m going to hit him in the face with my feet, inside four minutes.” This conversation shows that McGregor is comfortable enough to say at least a few sentences which isn’t bad considering it’s not his first language. Learning Gaelic in Ireland may be the equivalent of an Italian learning Latin – it’s not really a thing unless you go out of your way to learn it. Obviously, the bulk of McGregor’s time is spent fighting and training, rather than learning languages.

Is Conor McGregor English?

Born and raised in Ireland, Conor McGregor is considered an Irishman by most accounts. However, he does have English blood in him. McGregor’s father (Tony) was born to an Irish mother and an English father.

As a child, Tony McGregor was also raised in Liverpool for a few years. On a few occasions, McGregor has also mentioned having a Liverpudlian grandfather. Aged seven, after Tony’s parents separated and he went with his mother to Dublin, where he has lived ever since. Some years later as an adult, Tony had his first son, Conor McGregor. This means that Conor McGregor is roughly one-quarter English. Over the years, he has often spoken glowingly about England as well.

If you’re a fan of Conor McGregor then check out his biography, Notorious.