Northern Ireland

Mickey Harte apologises after Tyrone players videoed singing rebel song during loyalist parade

A video was taken on Tyrone GAA's team bus on Saturday
A video was taken on Tyrone GAA's team bus on Saturday A video was taken on Tyrone GAA's team bus on Saturday

TYRONE football manager Mickey Harte has apologised after some players were videoed singing a rebel song during a band parade.

The senior team was returning home from a win over Cavan in Clones, Co Monaghan on Saturday when the parade passed their bus in the border village of Aughnacloy.

Some of the players can be heard singing Come Out Ye Black And Tans, a song about the notorious force of mainly ex-soldiers recruited to support the Royal Irish Constabulary during the War of Independence.

It includes the lines: "Come out ye Black and Tans, come out and fight me like a man/ Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders/Tell them how the IRA made you run like hell away".

Someone on the bus can also be heard apparently making a sectarian remark.

The parade, organised by Lisgenny Flute Band and involving 14 bands, passed through Aughnacloy at around 8.30pm on Saturday.

In a statement, Mr Harte apologised to "anyone who has been offended by the unacceptable behaviour of some of the panel on Saturday evening".

"The matter is being dealt with in-house and we won't be making any further comment," he added.

DUP leader and Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Arlene Foster said the parade was timed to avoid disruption to Mass-goers on Saturday night.

“The bands were unaware of the singing or the comments until this video appeared," she said.

"It was their annual parade. There are many children in the bands. The parade is about the music and performance in front of their neighbours. It is not about offending anyone.

"The singing and the particular offensive remark does not represent many people who support GAA.

"I hope Tyrone GAA deal with this in a sensible way and we all move on.

"The Aughnacloy parade is an example of sharing where they don’t start the parade until the Saturday evening Mass is over. There must be respect on all sides if we are to build a shared future.”

Come Out Ye Black and Tans received a surprise airing on prime-time BBC earlier this year when an Irish character on Steve Coogan's comedy series This Time with Alan Partridge launched into a rendition.

Last year, Limerick hurlers were criticised for singing a rebel song following their All-Ireland win against Galway.

Players were videoed singing Seán South from Garryowen in their dressing room at Croke Park.

The song celebrates Limerick-born Seán South who was killed, along with Fergal O'Hanlon, during an IRA raid on an RUC barracks in Brookeborough, Co Fermanagh in 1957.