Ireland manager Martin O’Neill has given an apology for his inappropriate ‘queers’ comment last week.

At a Today FM event in Cork’s Opera House, organised to mark the squad’s departure to France for the European Championships, O’Neill quipped that he had invited staff members Steve Guppy and Steve Walford to the USA in order to avoid people thinking that himself and his assistant Roy Keane were “queers”.

The joke met with criticism from the Irish Gay and Lesbian Equality Network who tweeted “Martin O’ Neill should withdraw his offensive ‘queer’ comment & apologise to LGBT people.”

And apologise he did.  Speaking at a press conference yesterday, O’Neill said: “Almost the minute I had said it, I realised that I should not have said that, absolutely. I should not have said it. You are right to criticise me, believe it or not. Absolutely. It was inappropriate and I could not genuinely be more sorry, that’s the case.”

The comment was further lambasted by Dublin Devils chairman John McAree: “This is the wrong message to send to the LGBTI community a week before the Euro 2016 championships. O’Neill is an idol to many young gay teens all over Ireland. His comments will make them feel isolated, confused and different. Many young LGBTI men and women play football at local level and support Ireland at International level.”

O’Neill has a history of putting his foot in it with a recent blow up surrounding his sexist comments about only “attractive” female family members being allowed to accompany the squad to the Euros.