‘Sport and Irish Migration: New Perspectives on -its History and Development’

In 2020 it was announced that mixed martial arts superstar Conor McGregor will fight Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, a former World Champion at a record eight different weights, and the current WBA Welterweight Super Champion, in an exhibition boxing match in the Middle East.1 At the time of writing the bout appears to be in danger, with agents claiming uncertainty as to whether or not it will go ahead.2 Perhaps the best-known Irish athlete of his generation, McGregor’s reputation, and status, has long generated controversy inside and outside his home country. The proposed Pacquiao fight nevertheless signals McGregor’s ability to move across sports and, indeed, across continents. McGregor dropped from fourth to twenty-first in the Forbes rich list of the world’s highest paid athletes in 2019, despite having earned an estimated $47 million dollars that year, with Northern Ireland-born golfer Rory McIlroy the only other Irish representative in the top 100, placed at number thirty-two.3 However, The Times noted in 2021 that he was the highest paid athlete in the world, earning £130 million, including salary and sponsorship, greatly exceeding the total paid to Lionel Messi, his closest contender in that category, who reportedly earned £94 million