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Line Of Duty’s Martin Compston denies singing IRA lyrics after video emerges of crowd chanting at a Celtic convention-Cydney Yeates-Entertainment – Metro
‘I’ve worked in Belfast too long to see damage done to think this stuff is a laugh.’
Martin Compston denied singing any sectarian song (Picture: Getty/Instagram)
Line Of Duty’s Martin Compston has vehemently denied singing an IRA chant after a video of him at a Celtic convention in America emerged on social media.
The actor, who was a guest at a North American Celtic Supporters Federation (NACSF) event in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, was filmed punching the air and singing on stage.
The recording heard an animated crowd cry out ‘Irish Republic Army’ and ‘IRA’ to the tune of Daniel Boone’s 1972 hit Beautiful Sunday.
Martin was stood on the stage in last season’s Celtic away top and was seen pointing a hand in the sky.
Speaking out after backlash online, Martin denied involvement in singing IRA lyrics.
‘Let me be absolutely clear, I unequivocally did not sing ANY sectarian songs,’ he said.
Martin insisted that he was singing Beautiful Sundays (Picture: Instagram)
‘I’ve worked in Belfast too long to see damage done to think this stuff is a laugh.
‘If people want to change lyrics to a song that’s sung at Celtic Park, weddings, Still game wherever that’s up to them I’m not the lyric police.’
He continued: ‘If it was an IRA song and I was onstage bobbing along I would understand the story but I’m pretty sure Daniel Boone had nothing more than Beautiful Sundays in mind when he wrote the song and that’s what I was singing.’
The actor is best known for playing Steve Arnott in Line Of Duty (Picture: BBC)
Martin has been vocal in his criticism of sectarianism in the past including calling out one Twitter troll who branded him a ‘Fenian c***’.
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The same social media user had shared comments calling for an end to ‘bigotry in football’.
Martin pointed out that the ‘bold’ man was concerned with discrimination in football, ‘unless you’re a Catholic of course’.
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