THREE young Clare people, two males and a female, have faced an online backlash after a video was posted in which racist language was used.
The video, which is just a few seconds long, has been shared widely on social media in recent days.
The two males involved posted messages on social media subsequently, in which they apologised for their conduct.
St Caimin’s Secondary School in Shannon posted a message on its Twitter account subsequently, in which it distanced itself from the behaviour seen on the video. “We have been made aware of a video in which a group of young people use an abhorrent racial term.
“In St Caimin’s, we teach our students about the hurt and harm caused by such language. Racism is not tolerated in our school and we are committed to upholding our anti-racist ethos.”
However, a number of people, some of whom said they were past pupils, subsequently replied to criticise the school, while some others defended it. The school’s Twitter account had been deactivated by Tuesday morning.
Mary Immaculate College (MIC) in Limerick also tweeted about the video. “A vile video containing racist slurs has been brought to our attention. MIC regards the content as despicable and will proceed to determine if there has been MIC student involvement. MIC is strongly committed to social justice and abhors racism in all forms.”
Owen Ryan
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.