THE IRISH GOVERNMENT was alerted to the presence of a number of entertainers on a UN blacklist in 1986.

Documents released under the 30-year rule show that a number of Irish singers were on the blacklist of the UN Centre Against Apartheid.

The register, dated April 1986, says it is the third such document and includes a list of artists who had performed in apartheid-era South Africa and not pledged to avoid the country in future.

The Irish Permanent Representation to the UN sent a note back to the Department of Foreign Affairs, alerting them to the list.

On it are:

• Foster and Allen who toured South Africa from May-June 1985
• Singer Geraldine Branagan who performed in October 1982
• Michael Bryan who sang there in June 1985
• Margo and Trevor Burns, who played in September 1984
• Phil Coulter who played in May 1983
• Joe Dolan who played in 1981 and 1983
• The Danny Fisher Showband
• Tom McGrath
• Dave and Harry Monks
• Cissy Stone

A  further page shows that singers Mitch T Mitchell, Mary O’Hara and comedian Hal Roche were removed from the register as they had pledged not to perform in South Africa until apartheid was ended.

The register came at a time when apartheid was hotly debated in Ireland. The Dunnes Stores strike led to high-level discussion over an embargo of fruit from the country.

Read: This day 30 years ago the Dunnes Stores anti-apartheid strike began