Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has publicly criticized U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Ed Walsh for posing for photographs at The Black Forge Inn, a pub owned by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor.
Varadkar, speaking on The Path to Power podcast, expressed shock at the U.S. Ambassador's visit to the establishment, which he believes damages U.S.-Irish relations. McGregor was previously found civilly liable for sexual assault and ordered to pay €250,000 in damages to Nikita Hand.
"I just recoiled. And you know, I’m not easily shocked. I think the Rape Crisis Centre really spoke for me, and I think it spoke for a lot of people in the country… What messages does this send out to women? What messages does it send out to victims of rape and sexual assault? And I think it was a big, big mistake on his part," Varadkar stated.
He called on Ambassador Walsh to "apologise" and "admit that this was an error of judgement." Varadkar suggested that Walsh should invite Ms. Hand to his official residence, Deerfield, in an effort to "undo" the damage caused by the visit.
"I’m not sure if she’d go or not, but he should invite Nikita Hand to Deerfield. She should be invited to the residence, and he should hear from her what happened. And I think in that way he’ll be able to undo the damage that he has done," Varadkar said.
The former Taoiseach also suggested that the ambassador's actions were a disservice to U.S. President Donald Trump, who appointed Walsh to his role. Trump is scheduled to visit Ireland in September when his golf course hosts the Irish Open.
"I think in his actions he’s done President Trump a disservice. This will increase the likelihood of protests and it’ll increase the likelihood that there’ll be a focus on sexual violence and mistreatment of women for lots of reasons. So if he cares about his country and cares about his boss, he’ll put this right," Varadkar added.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre echoed Varadkar's concerns. Chief executive Rachel Morrogh stated that the ambassador's visit "normalised and trivialised sexual violence" and sent a "very negative message to survivors on behalf of the U.S. government." She noted that this was consistent with perceptions of the White House's stance on sexual violence.
Morrogh indicated that the center and others plan to protest during President Trump's upcoming visit, highlighting his administration's approach to sexual violence.
"Unfortunately, it is also consistent with what we have seen from the White House in recent years," Morrogh said.
Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger also expressed shock, stating that the visit was "entirely in line with the Trump regime attitude to predators and abusers." She remarked on the timing of the visit, which occurred during a week when two women were victims of femicide in Ireland and calls to rape crisis services were at a record high.
The U.S. Embassy declined to comment when asked if the ambassador would apologize or invite Ms. Hand to his residence.