The Football Association of Ireland has apologised after a video emerged on social media of Ireland’s women singing a song with a pro-IRA chorus after qualifying for the World Cup on Tuesday.
The clip showed the team celebrating in their Hampden Park dressing room after their 1-0 victory over Scotland, singing “Ooh ah, up the ’RA” – words associated with support for the Irish Republican Army.
It comes from a song, Celtic Symphony by the Wolfe Tones, released in 1987 for the centennial of Celtic football club. In a statement the FAI said: “The Football Association of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland women’s national team manager Vera Pauw apologise for any offence caused by a song sung by players in the Ireland dressing room after the Fifa Women’s World Cup qualifying playoff win over Scotland at Hampden Park on Tuesday night.” Pauw said: “We apologise from the bottom of our hearts to anyone who has been offended by the content of the post-match celebrations after we had just qualified for the World Cup. “We will review this with the players and remind them of their responsibilities in this regard.
I have spoken with players this morning and we are sorry collectively for any hurt caused, there can be no excuse for that.” The veteran player Áine O’Gorman reiterated the apology, telling RTÉ Sport: “We sang 100 songs last night and that was the one that went out.