A soup kitchen has described a €10,000 donation by Conor McGregor as “just incredible”.
Liberty Soup Run was set up by Christopher O’Reilly in 2018 to help the homeless in Dublin.
Earlier this week, the group were doing their rounds as usual when Mr O’Reilly’s daughter spotted something unusual.
“My little young one, she’s 10-years-of-age, she said, ‘Daddy, there’s Conor McGregor,’” Mr O’Reilly told Henry McKean for The Hard Shoulder.
“I said, ‘Stop messing.’
“I turned around, I saw a big Rolls Royce and heard someone shouting, ‘Where’s Chris?’
“True to his word, it was Conor McGregor.”
'I turned around and there he was in his big Rolls-Royce - he came over and said hello and asked what we do.'
Christopher O'Reilly of @run_soup89131 was surprised by an appearance by @TheNotoriousMMA after a 'high' donation:— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) December 15, 2023
McGregor came over, shook Mr O’Reilly’s hand and was fulsome in his praise for Liberty Soup Run’s work.
It was, Mr O’Reilly said, a “mind blowing” experience.
“He’s an incredible man,” he said.
“To come down and acknowledge us, he’s a superstar and for him to come and acknowledge a little small soup run like this and support us, it’s just incredible.
“So, I want to thank him for that.”
McGregor gave €10,000 to the soup kitchen and has also promised to help them find a new van for their work.
Bravo, Chris and the Liberty Soup Run team, great to meet last night, you have my support all the way ❤️🙏 https://t.co/cGNXen0fM9
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 15, 2023
Housing in Drimnagh
It comes at a time when the fighter has rarely been out of the news.
His comments about the Dublin riots made international news and a company he owns has been granted planning permission to build 113 apartments in Drimnagh.
Speaking to locals, Henry found not all of them were happy about the proposed new housing.
“It’s a bloody disgrace,” one man told him.
“We’ve been here over 50 years and they start to build outside your door.
“Me and my wife are over 80 years of age… I think it’s all very wrong.”
Another man described the development as “way too big” and had a message for McGregor.
“Lower the height,” he said.
Others were more neutral about the proposal; 80-year-old Drimnagh resident Eamon Brady said he understood both the opposition and support for the proposal.
“It’s bad for the people that are living right in front of it,” he said.
“It’s behind their house and overlooks their house, that’s pretty tough.
“Also, there’s no parking around here.”
Despite this, he agreed that “homes are needed” because of the rising number of homelessness.
In the first 11 months of 2023, 29,634 new homes were commenced - more than were built during the entire of last year.
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Main image: Conor McGregor. Picture by: Liberty Soup Run.
