The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has issued an apology after a video emerged showing national team players singing a chant containing lyrics in support of the IRA. “We apologize from the bottom of our hearts”assured the FAI and the coach of the national team of Ireland, Vera Pauw, in a joint press release, Wednesday, October 12.
Video shows members of the national team celebrating their 1-0 win over the Scotland team in the dressing room at Glasgow’s Hampden Park on Tuesday night, chanting the words “Ooh ah, up the ‘RA'”equated with support for the former paramilitary group.
“We will raise the matter with the players to remind them of their responsibilities. I spoke to the players this morning and we are collectively sorry for any pain we may have caused. There are no excuses for this“, affirmed Vera Pauw. The team sang “one hundred songs yesterday (Tuesday) night, and it’s the only one that came out (on the networks)”defender Aine O’Gorman regretted on RTE radio. “We just want to apologize to everyone who was hurt”she added.
The first qualification of the women’s team at the World Cup
The incident was raised in meetings between Irish Foreign Secretary Simon Coveney and leaders of Northern Ireland’s political parties. Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie tweeted that the video was “a kick in the teeth of some who congratulated (players) and supporters who lost loved ones to the actions of the IRA”.
I do not know the veracity of this clip but I have to say if accurate it’s a kick in the teeth for some of those who congratulated them & those supporters who lost loved ones at the hands of the IRA.
Really poor.I hope @FAIWomen can clarify. https://t.co/j4xuSI2oJF
—Doug Beattie (@BeattieDoug) October 12, 2022
The IRA, opposing the British authority over the province of Northern Ireland, carried out violent actions for several decades, which ended in 1998 with the so-called “Good Friday” peace agreement.
This victory allowed, for the first time in its history, the selection to open the doors to the next World Cup, next year in New Zealand and Australia. Men and women alike, Ireland have not participated in a world tournament since 2002.