MCDONALD’S HAS come in for criticism online in Ireland after it emerged the fast food giant was promoting a new ice cream dessert in Portugal as a “Sundae Bloody Sundae”.
Irish Twitter users were left both bemused and horrified in equal measure after @bigmonsterlove shared an image of the offending sweet treat.
Taken inside a branch of McDonald’s in Portugal, the Halloween-themed sundae dessert is seemingly being promoted alongside the name “Sundae Bloody Sundae”.
Portugal is cancelled. pic.twitter.com/X1egoGRq9j
— Jabroni The Lonely (@bigmonsterlove) October 30, 2019
The name “Bloody Sundae” appears to be a appears to be a reference to the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry, in which 14 unarmed civilians were killed by British soldiers.
Some have suggested that the promotion is designed to reference the U2 song "Sunday Bloody Sunday" given the order of words used.
However, such an excuse falls on deaf ears given that the song is actually about the Derry massacre - a fact apparent to anyone who has listened to the lyrics.
Some have seen the funny side, reference Steve Coogan's comedy creation Alan Partridge, who famously told Ireland's very own Graham Linehan in one memorable scene that the song "really encapsulates the frustration of a Sunday".
Very few in Ireland saw the funny the funny side though with Twitter erupting in a mix of anger, confusion and condemnation.
One user told McDonald’s to give some “history lessons to your marketing department in Portugal” adding “that is sick”.
Another said: “McDonalds Portugal, I think this might not mean what you think it means.”
A third asked, bluntly: “Have you gone out of your f**king minds?”
Fintan Walsh also commented, writing: “Hate to do this to you McDonalds but Sunday Bloody Sunday is actually about a massacre that happened in Derry in 1972.”
Hate to do this to you McDonalds but Sunday Bloody Sunday is actually about a massacre that happened in Derry in 1972.
McDonalds: Massacre? Eugh. Not eating that again. pic.twitter.com/fC4fCti2IG— Fintan Walsh (@FintanWalsh) October 31, 2019
McDonald’s in Portugal has now moved to address the problem and cancelled the use of the slogan in its campaign.
In a statement sent to Correio da Manhã , McDonalds said it was never "intended to make any connection to historical events or to insult anyone in any way."
The fast-food chain also regrets "any offense that activation may have caused" and reveals that the material has already been removed from restaurants.
See More: Bloody Sunday, Mcdonalds, Portugal, U2
