The University of Notre Dame’s men’s ice hockey team sparked controversy after issuing a now-deleted social media post advising fans attending their upcoming Belfast game to avoid wearing Irish symbolism.
The now-deleted post, shared on X, warned attendees against wearing green, the Fighting Irish logo, or items featuring shamrocks or leprechauns, suggesting these might be “deemed offensive” in Belfast. The team’s guidelines, which were quickly removed, prompted outrage on social media and forced an apology from the school.
Notre Dame is set to participate in the “Friendship Four” tournament in Belfast from November 29-30, 2024, where the Fighting Irish will compete against Merrimack College, Harvard University, and Boston University. The guidelines were intended to ensure that fans would not inadvertently offend the local people, though many found the advice puzzling and out of place.
”Just a reminder to avoid our Irish symbolism, that may be deemed offensive to some, while out around town,” the tweet read, accompanied by a graphic listing what fans should not wear. The tweet urged fans to stick to the team’s navy and gold colors or any clothing featuring the team’s logo, but warned against Irish-related imagery like the national tricolor and the iconic leprechaun mascot.
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The backlash from fans was swift. Social media users criticized the guidelines, with many calling them unnecessarily cautious and embarrassing.
“This is absolutely anti-Irish, anti-Catholic and anti-American. What an absolute disgrace from the school,” one X user posted. “As if the people of Belfast can’t control themselves around a Notre Dame hockey jersey” another responded to the school’s apology post.
As criticism mounted, the Notre Dame hockey Twitter account issued a formal apology, explaining that the post was made out of “an abundance of caution” and acknowledging the mistake.
“The guidelines were not properly reviewed and should not have been posted,” the statement read. “Our game in Belfast is meant to bring people together and build bridges through sport,” the statement read.
A statement on our upcoming trip to Belfast. pic.twitter.com/UVB8qRlOas
— Notre Dame Hockey (@NDHockey) November 19, 2024
Campus Reform has contacted University of Notre Dame Social Media and University of Notre Dame Athletics for a comment, but has yet to receive a response.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
