Omagh Councillor apologises for offensive social media comments

A TYRONE councillor has become the latest politician forced to apologise for an offensive social media post from the past.

Mid Tyrone Councillor Catherine Kelly, used a phrase which is a derogatory term for a person with a learning disability in a comment she made on the social media platform Twitter in 2018.

The tweet is from before the Sinn Féin representative became a councillor. Ms Kelly was elected to the council in 2019.

Last week the Fermanagh and Omagh councillor apologised for her use of the word and has said she is reviewing how she uses social media platforms.

In a statement to the Tyrone Herald she said, “I would apologise for the comment I made, it was in bad taste and is not the type of language I should use.”

“I should not have said that word and it was wrong. I am very sorry and we all must do better when posting comments online.

“I have reviewed my social media and I will make sure nothing like this will happen again.”

This is not the first time Cllr Kelly has caused controversy with her use of social media.

In 2015, Ms Kelly posted tweets about IRA victim Ann Travers, whose sister Mary was shot dead and father Tom seriously injured in an IRA gun attack as they left Mass at a south Belfast church in April 1984.

Past social media posts dominated the headlines last week, when a series of offensive tweets by UUP leader Doug Beattie were highlighted. Three Sinn Fein MLA’s were also found to have offensive historic tweets.

All have since apologised and removed the offending tweets.