MCDONALD’S HAS APOLOGISED for using a slogan which made an inadvertent reference to Bloody Sunday in an ad campaign for a Halloween-themed dessert offer in Portugal.

It comes after an image went viral showing a two-for-one offer for strawberry ice-cream sundaes over the Halloween period, which contained the caption “Sundae Bloody Sundae”.

The phrase is an apparent reference to the U2 song Sunday Bloody Sunday, which itself references events in Derry in 1972 when British paratroopers shot dead demonstrators attending a civil rights march in the city’s Bogside area.

In a statement to TheJournal.ie, McDonald’s Portugal said it was not the company’s intention to reference the incident, which was one of the most significant events during The Troubles.

“When promoting its Halloween Sundae ice cream, McDonald’s Portugal developed a local market activation for a small number of its restaurants in Portugal,” the company said.

“The campaign was intended as a celebration of Halloween, not as an insensitive reference to any historical event or to upset or insult anyone in any way. We sincerely apologise for any offence or distress this may have caused.”

The company added that related promotional material for the campaign had since been removed from its restaurants.

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