Martin O’Neill apologies for ‘crass, inappropriate’ remark

Martin O’Neill has apologised for his use of the pejorative word “queer” during an onstage interview in Cork last week, admitting the remark — intended as a joke — was “crass” and “inappropriate”, and said that he accepts that people were fully entitled to criticise him for it.

O’Neill and Roy Keane were being interviewed during the a public pre-Euros event at the city’s Opera House when, referring to the pair’s having attended this year’s Super Bowl together, the Ireland manager joked that he didn’t want to leave people with the impression that they were “queer”.

The remark drew strong criticism from gay and lesbian rights activists and, yesterday, O’Neill took the opportunity of a briefing with football journalists at the FAI Training Centre in Abbotstown, to offer an apology.