BRITISH journalist Rachel Johnson has apologised for remarks she made about the Irish language made in a tweet about the abortion referendum on Saturday.
Johnson, who is British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's younger sister, said last night that she “fecked up” in her wording of the post.
In the now-deleted tweet, she wrote:
Huge praise to Beth Rigby and Kay Burley of Sky News who produced world-class award-winning reporting every step of the way of this powerful and moving and divisive story – and also helped comprehension (in mainland UK) by speaking in clear English not Gaelic throughout.
The tweet prompted a swift reaction online, with Irish commentators roundly frustrated at Johnson's "faux pas in the extreme".
Irish journalist Naomi O'Leary replied: "Assuming you mean Irish or Gaeilge, which Irish journalists did you observe speaking Irish on British TV? When?
If you just mean journalists speaking English with an Irish accent, that is insulting on several levels.
1. Our language is not called Gaelic
2. 'Mainland UK'
3. [beeped]— Naomi O'Leary (@NaomiOhReally) May 27, 2018
Ireland is not a part of the U.K. at all so the "mainland U.K." comment is very misinformed and a political faux-pas in the extreme. Just a heads up. Also we don't speak Gaelic, it's Gaeilge, and all reporting would be in English regardless.
— Méabh de Brún (@jooovinile) May 26, 2018
"If you just mean journalists speaking English with an Irish accent, that is insulting on several levels. Our language is not called Gaelic."
Another Irish person said: "Ireland is not a part of the U.K. at all so the 'mainland UK' comment is very misinformed and a political faux-pas in the extreme. Just a heads up.
"Also we don't speak Gaelic, it's Gaeilge, and all reporting would be in English regardless."
In a tweet last night, Johnson sought to clarify the tweet and apologised for her use of the word 'Gaelic'.
She said: "I made a moronic reference to 'Gaelic' in my tweet about TV coverage of the Irish abortion referendum yesterday and Twitter has rightly pointed out in how many ways I fecked up in using that word. Sorry."
I made a moronic reference to "Gaelic" in my tweet about TV coverage of the Irish abortion referendum yesterday and Twitter has rightly pointed out in how many ways I fecked up in using that word. Sorry.
— Rachel Johnson (@RachelSJohnson) May 27, 2018
