In a since-deleted tweet, Notre Dame hockey fans were advised against wearing clothing with “Irish symbolism” at the upcoming Notre Dame hockey games on Nov. 29 and 30 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The Notre Dame Men’s Hockey X account posted a graphic with the caption, “We can’t wait to see your Notre Dame in Belfast gear inside SSE Arena. Just a reminder to avoid our Irish symbolism, that may be deemed offensive to some, while out around town.” The graphic instructed fans not to wear items with green, shamrocks, the Irish flag, leprechauns or the words “Fighting Irish” or “Irish.” Instead, the graphic suggested fans wear navy and gold, gear with “Notre Dame hockey” on it or the ND monogram.
Notre Dame began selling commemorative navy jerseys for the event, featuring a gold “Irish” and shamrock, earlier this month.
After receiving backlash for the post on X and Instagram, where it was also posted, the message was deleted. Shortly after, a new post was released, reading “Out of an abundance of caution, we posted guidelines on social media for fans wishing to express support for the team during its upcoming trip to Northern Ireland. The guidelines were not properly reviewed and should not have been posted.”
The post continued, “Our game in Belfast is meant to bring people together and build bridges through sport, we apologize to the fans and to the people of Northern Ireland for any confusion or offense.”
