The University of Notre Dame hockey team has faced criticism online for advising fans travelling to Belfast not to wear "Irish symbols" on their jerseys in case they caused offence.
At the end of the month, Boston University, Harvard University, Merrimack College, and Notre Dame—a foursome known as the Friendship Four—will play in a four-game tournament at Belfast's SSE Arena.
It is the only NCAA Division One ice hockey tournament held outside North America.
Notre Dame is renowned for its affiliation with Ireland. The Catholic institution was founded by French-born priest Edward Sorin, who arrived at the site of the future university with eight other priests, some of whom were Irish.
The team, which often travels to Ireland, frequently features Irish imagery on their merchandise, such as shamrocks, and calls themselves the "Fighting Irish." Their sports teams also use a leprechaun as a mascot.
Ahead of the tournament, the hockey team released a special "Irish" jersey to mark their visit to Belfast. However, their X (formerly Twitter) account posted a tweet advising fans not to wear certain items while in Belfast as they could be considered offensive. These included the colour green, the words "fighting Irish," shamrocks, the Irish flag, and leprechauns. The tweet has since been deleted.
A statement on our upcoming trip to Belfast. pic.twitter.com/UVB8qRlOas
— Notre Dame Hockey (@NDHockey) November 19, 2024
"We can't wait to see your Notre Dame gear inside the SSE Arena," the account posted. "Just a reminder to avoid our Irish symbolism, which may be deemed offensive to some, while out around town."
An apology followed, acknowledging that the guidelines were not properly reviewed and apologising for any offence caused.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we posted guidelines on social media for fans wishing to express support for the team during its upcoming trip to Northern Ireland. The guidelines were not properly reviewed and should not have been posted.
"Our game in Belfast is meant to bring people together and build bridges through sport. We apologise to fans and to the people of Northern Ireland for any confusion or offence."
The Friendship Four tournament will take place on Friday, November 29, and Saturday, November 30, 2024.
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