‘A genuine slip-up' – Cathal Crowe apologises after claiming the British Army never bombed or shot civilians in Ireland
Cathal Crowe, from Clare, shocked Deputies when he made the remark – adding immediately afterwards that he was something of a historian – during a discussion of the Israeli army's activities in Gaza.
Today, Mr Crowne apologised to 'the victims of British terror and atrocities' in the Dáil.
He said he wanted to correct the record over the remarks.
"My apology is also to those of you who care about Irish history and the accuracy with which it should be conveyed,' he said in a personal statement.
'I wanted to make the point that brutal, bad, and all as the British armed forces have been on this island for a very long time, they never resorted to sending over the Royal Air Force, tanks and missiles to pummel Irish cities.
'Regrettably, speaking largely off the cuff I clumsily and wrongly stated that 'they never retaliated by bombing and shooting the civilian population of Ireland'.
'Let me be very clear. It was not my intention to say this, and I didn't realise how woeful all of that was until late last night when I received the transcript of what I had actually said.
'It was a genuine slip-up on my part, but it was wrong – and I wish to today unequivocally and profusely apologise."
The British army 'has been involved in many heinous attacks on Irish people historically', he said.
His own family 'also suffered at the hands in the past of the British military', he added, referring to atrocities in Clare during the War of Independence.
Mr Crowe said: 'My apology is to the victims of British terror and atrocities. My apology is also to those of you who care about Irish history and the accuracy with which it should be conveyed.'
He is a former history teacher, and previously called for a boycott to oppose former Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan's efforts to commemorate the Royal Irish Constabulary.
The event caused and outcry and was soon scrapped.
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