FAI chief executive John Delaney has sought to clarify legal warnings issued in the wake of the release of a video of his singing of the republican ballad Joe McDonnell in a Dublin pub last week.
A video posted on YouTube last week showed Delaney singing the song in The Bath pub, Dublin 4, following the Republic of Ireland’s 4-1 win over USA at Aviva Stadium.
Today The Guardian and The Telegraph reported that they were contacted by solicitors acting on behalf of the FAI, who had been instructed to deny that Delaney was the man singing in the video.
The Guardian quoted from a statement issued by law firm Debello Law on behalf of Delaney, which was reproduced by the Irish Times. The statement says: “My client’s position is simply that it is not him singing in the video.
"If you take the decision to publish legal proceedings will follow as it will undoubtedly cause various issues for my client.”
This morning Delaney confirmed that he was the man in the video and later this evening a statement on the FAI website said the warnings were issued due to a misunderstanding through a third party.
"I now understand that while I was travelling and uncontactable there was some confusion through a third party around the background of a video which appeared and where it happened which led to a misunderstanding," Delaney said.
Balls.ie also reports that an FAI representative had contacted the website on Saturday after it had posted an article about the video on Friday.
"The FAI representative "advised we take the post down as we were leaving ourselves open to legal proceedings," Balls.ie deputy editor Mark Farrelly wrote.
Farrelly continued: "When questioned on whether or not it was Delaney in the video, we were told that it wasn’t him."
Delaney's apology focuses on claims that he was travelling when the incident surfaced, and offers support for his girlfriend in dealing with recent issues of cyber bullying.
Delaney is also keen to point out the ballad was sung in what he terms 'a very private forum' and the video was made - and circulated - without his prior knowledge.
The FAI has been unavailable for further comment.
The full statement reads as follows: "The song in question has been sung in my presence and by me privately on a couple of occasions.
"It has never been intended to cause upset and was always sung in a very private forum.
"The recording was made without the knowledge of anyone in attendance was made to try to construe some link between me and a non-peaceful approach to life, which I reject completely.
"In relation to the anonymous internet and social media attacks on my partner Emma, it has been a difficult time for her, for her family and both of us.
"This type of cyber bullying has no place in Irish society and I support her fully in her decision to stand up to this vile abuse.
"Yesterday, during the day, I was travelling back with my partner from abroad and trying to deal primarily with the serious cyber bullying issues facing her.
"I now understand that while I was travelling and un-contactable there was some confusion through a third party around the background of a video which appeared and where it happened which led to misunderstanding.
"As anyone who knows me will attest, I abhor violence and have worked tirelessly through my role at the Football Association of Ireland to strengthen links between communities on this island, north and south.
"I have said in the past that I come from a nationalist background. My grandfather fought in the war of independence and the civil war but both my family and I reject violence completely and are 100% aligned to the democratic process which has brought about so much progress in Ireland.
"Like many songs, when you sing a song like that, you don't believe in every word that is in the song.
"Following on from some comments, I was an Irish man, singing an Irish song in private company, although as stated in earlier interviews today, if the song has caused any offence of course I'm sorry."
