A club in the MLS has apologised for including an old Irish phrase on a social media post ahead of their friendly with League of Ireland side St. Patrick's Athletic next week.
This week, American side Minnesota United tweeted 'Tiocfaidh ár Lá' which is Irish for 'our day will come' The post has evoked a backlash, with people believing that the side was tweeting the phrase in support of the IRA. The phrase is often championed by Irish Republicans, who still believe a united Ireland can be achieved one day.
'Tiocfaidh Ár Lá" was coined in the 1970s during the Troubles in Northern Ireland and has often appeared on political murals and graffiti. It has also been shouted by IRA defendants being convicted in court.
Some see the phrase as ambigious; others see it as payback and reprisal for historical British occupation in Ireland
Minnesota, like many American cities, has a big Irish disapora and is set to play the friendly to mark St. Patrick's Day. The side's X account posted a tweet saying, "Tiocfaidh Ár Lá: Our day will come. Get to know our StPats ahead of next week's international friendly."
The phrase was included on both the header of the on-site piece and the tagline of the accompanying tweet, but after the backlash online, it was quickly deleted. An apology followed shortly after
"Earlier today, an article appeared on MNUFC.com that unknowingly included a divisive expression. We deeply regret this error and apologise to those we have offended with our careless mistake," said the club on X.
Many have defended the club's post and stated that their was no reason to delete the promotional post for the game.
Screenshotting this before it’s deleted… https://t.co/ZvTIoREYT1 pic.twitter.com/o8wH63w9Nl
— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) March 12, 2024
"They meant to cause no controversy . It’s a minefield trying to watch out for cultural context," said one account. While another said, "There was nothing bad about your statement. The whining little sh**ts who reacted badly to it have a sensitive side to their delusion of their own country's colonial and terrorist past.
Despite this mishap, the game will still go ahead. Speaking ahead of the fixture, MNUFC CEO Shari Ballard said, “We are excited to welcome the historic St. Patrick’s Athletic FC to the Twin Cities and introduce them to our incredible Minnesota soccer community.
"Throughout our history, we have sought to introduce our fans to unique soccer clubs from around the world with rich and diverse histories.
"We are pleased to partner with another storied club in St. Patrick’s Athletic to bring an exciting and unique experience to Allianz Field for our fans to enjoy. We look forward to this exciting matchup with the 2023 FAI Cup winners.”
St. Pats vs. Minnesota United takes place on Wednesday, March 20, with kick-off at midnight Irish time.
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