A leading Sinn Féin TD has said that Gerry Adams should apologise for a controversial Christmas video in which he sang an Irish republican slogan - noting it would be "helpful"
The video in question went viral before quickly being deleted.
The charity sketch posted online involved the former Sinn Fein leader knocking on the door of a homeowner as a carol singer.
He then sings an amended version of the carol Deck the Halls, replacing the 'Fa, la, la, la, la' with 'Tiocfaidh ar la, la, la, la, la'.
The amended lyric in the sketch is an Irish republican slogan which translates from Irish as ‘our day will come’, and was associated for many years with the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
While speaking to WLR FM on Tuesday morning, Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Broin said that he doesn’t believe Adams intended to cause hurt or offence, but that an apology would be helpful.
“I don’t believe for a second that Gerry either intended to cause hurt or offence to anybody, I really don’t. Given the fact that offence has been caused, I think for him to apologise for the offence that has been caused would be helpful," Mr Ó Broin stated.
“I think if any of us say anything, even if unintentionally it causes hurt, I think we should apologise for it.”
Mr Ó Broin continued: “I’m acutely aware that the past happened. There is nothing that I can do to undo the hurt, pain, trauma, that Republicans – including people that I have worked with directly, very closely for years – have caused.
“Will we make mistakes along the way, yes we will. I’m a long-standing believer, if you make a mistake, hold your hands up, apologise and learn from the mistake.”
