Republic of Ireland boss Vera Pauw has apologised for any offence caused as her jubilant players celebrated reaching the World Cup finals for the first time.
Video circulated on social media after Tuesday night’s 1-0 play-off victory over Scotland at Hampden Park appeared to show the players singing a pro-IRA chant in the changing room afterwards.
Manager Pauw and her employers, the Football Association of Ireland, issued an apology on Wednesday morning.
An FAI statement 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 Women’s World Cup qualifying play-off win over Scotland at Hampden Park on Tuesday night.”
Pauw added: “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.”
'We are sincerely, deeply sorry for what happened. It doesn't matter if the players meant anything or not... It's about having respect for everybody, for the history'
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 12, 2022
Vera Pauw apologises for song that was sung, admitting it has taken some shine off their qualification #rtesoccer pic.twitter.com/QrvoAlE6pN
Further social media footage showed the Ireland players celebrating both on their flight home from Glasgow and after they had touched down in Dublin, where emergency crews assembled to welcome their return with sirens and flashing lights.
Amber Barrett’s cool 72nd-minute finish had earlier secured their passage to Australia and New Zealand, where they will join holders the United States and European champions England at next summer’s finals.
UUP leader Doug Beattie condemned the video.
He said on social media: “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 and those supporters who lost loved ones at the hands of the IRA.”
The UUP leader added in a later statement that the conduct of the team was “just disgraceful”.
"For celebrations of qualifying for the Women’s World Cup to turn into singing in glorification of the IRA, a terrorist group that murdered thousands of men, women and children, is just inexcusable,” he said.
“The FAI needs to respond robustly to this. The apology needs to be for the actions of the women, not just the hurt caused. There needs to be evidence of reflection and education as to why this type of behaviour is so harmful and so utterly wrong.”
South Down DUP MLA Diane Forsythe said she will write to the FAI.
Ms Forsythe said: “Republican terrorists were responsible for 60% of the deaths during the Troubles. People of all ages, all genders and all faiths were systematically targeted and murdered in the most cruel manner by the PIRA. Some of those families whose loved ones were murdered have never even been told where the IRA buried their loved one.
This was a barbaric, cruel and illegal terrorist organisation. For the team to be singing such a song is quite outrageous and utterly insensitive to PIRA victims. I will be asking the FAI how they are going to give leadership across grassroots football so as this pro-IRA chanting is stopped at future events.”
TUV spokesperson Lorna Smyth said the apology given didn’t go far enough.
“While there have been apologies, tellingly there has been a failure by the FAI or the players to spell out why the song was unacceptable. They have apologised merely for ‘for any offence caused’.
“Is disciplinary action being taken? If not, why not?
“There needs to be recognition by all concerned, both the players and the FAI, that the IRA were a murderous terrorist organisation responsible for visiting death and destruction on countless families on both sides of the border.
“A bland apology which says sorry for any offence without clearly spelling out why a song glorifying the IRA is offensive isn’t enough.”
