Conor McGregor waxwork removed from museum

A wax figure of Conor McGregor has been removed from the National Wax Museum Plus in Dublin.

The museum has said it removed the figure of the mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from public viewing two weeks ago in light of his civil trial case.

On Friday, a jury at the High Court in Dublin found he had assaulted Nikita Hand by raping her in a hotel in Dublin in December 2018.

McGregor was ordered to pay Ms Hand almost €250,000 (£206,000) in damages.

In the statement, the museum said: "As a family-friendly attraction, we regularly review our exhibits to ensure they align with our values and the expectations of our visitors.

"We will continue to monitor the situation and make decisions about future displays accordingly."

The sculpture was "one of the more popular ones", especially with tourists, a spokesperson told Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

"If you look at most photos online taken by people visiting the museum, a lot would be with McGregor," the spokesperson said.

The MMA fighter's father, Tony McGregor, unveiled the waxwork in August 2017.

Following the verdict of the civil rape case, a number of companies have said they will no longer stock products which have been linked to Conor McGregor.

The company that now owns a whiskey originally co-founded by the fighter has said it would no longer be using his name and image for their marketing.

A spokeswoman for Proximo Spirits said it had been the "100% owner of Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey since 2021".

Belfast bar Filthy McNasty's on the Dublin Road has said it is suspending its sale of McGregor's Forged branded stout, which it helped to launch in December 2023.

The bar, which sports a mural on the side of its building advertising the brand, told the Irish News it is "currently awaiting" the mural being removed.

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon has also pulled products associated with the fighter.

Earlier this week, Tesco said it was removing McGregor's products from its stores and online.

It was joined by BWG Foods, which said the products were no longer listed for distribution across its network of SPAR, EUROSPAR, MACE, Londis and XL stores.

Cork-based Barry Group said it had also decided to delist Forged Stout and Proper No Twelve from its Costcutter and Carry Out retail outlets.

A spokeswoman said it reflected the company's "commitment to maintaining a retail environment that resonates with the values of our customers and partners."

Supervalu, Centra, Daybreak and Mace, all owned by Musgrave, are also no longer stocking products linked to the mixed martial arts fighter.

Irish airport operator DAA said the whiskey was removed from sale in both Dublin and Cork airports over the weekend.

On Monday evening, several hundred people marched in Dublin in support of Ms Hand.

The protesters marched from Dublin City Hall to the office of the Irish director of public prosecutions (DPP) to express concern at what they believe to be a failure in not taking a criminal case against McGregor.

A higher legal threshold applies to a criminal case than a civil case as in a criminal case the burden of proof is beyond reasonable doubt.

The DPP told Ms Hand in 2020 that there was "insufficient evidence" to bring a criminal case and there was not a reasonable prospect of conviction.

Ms Hand asked the DPP to review the decision, saying she felt she was being treated differently because one of the suspects was famous.

Asked about the DPP's decision not to prosecute, the outgoing Irish justice minister, Helen McEntee said at the weekend: “We have a very independent system in this country, and I think that's right.

"I really think it's important that we respect that independence."