GAA:RTÉ has publicly expressed its regret for any offence caused to Mickey Harte after the Tyrone manager and his squad issued a statement today in which they committed to continue their boycott of the national broadcaster.
The Tyrone senior football management and squad announced the boycott this afternoon in response to what they described as "insensitive" treatment from the State broadcaster and, in particular, Radio 1's John Murray Show.
RTÉ wasted little time in responding, claiming it had already expressed “sincere regret” to Harte and hoped “that, in the public interest of all those who follow Gaelic games, the matter can be resolved.”
The Tyrone statement claimed that since Harte co-signed a letter to the broadcaster with regards to the “disproportionate absence of Brian Carthy from his role as a radio commentator”, he and his family had been the subject of “inappropriate references”.
The statement continued: “Due to the portrayal of the said letter, at least one other broadcaster within the organisation acted in a most insensitive manner in the choice of their programme dialogue in a morning radio show soon after.
"Inappropriate references to the fact that the Tyrone manager Mickey Harte was associated with the Dali Lama conference in Limerick and the choice of the song Pretty Little Girl from Omagh, will give you an indication of the complete lack of sensitivity the presenter in question afforded the Harte family and Michaela (Harte)'s husband John McAreavey, in what remains for them a very difficult time.
“We hope that this statement clarifies for the general public why Mickey Harte, his management team and the players have chosen not to co-operate with RTÉ at this time. Interviews with all other media outlets will continue as before.”
Harte’s daughter, Michaela, was murdered while on honeymoon in Mauritius in January.
RTÉ defended Murray’s “satirical and humorous synopsis of the day’s big news stories” but said it understood his coverage on June 9th had offended Harte.
“It is never RTÉ’s intention to knowingly offend any individual,” their statement read, “and RTÉ sincerely regrets any offence caused. This sincere regret was immediately and personally communicated to Harte by RTÉ management.”
The Tyrone statement also pointed the finger at RTÉ for the leak of the letter regarding Carthy to the media.
“The contents of the letter made their way into the public domain and the managers concerned can categorically state that they were not the source of that leak,” it read.
RTÉ response insisted “it did not leak the contents of the letter referred to in today’s statement” and “treated the correspondence as private and confidential”.
It concluded: “It is RTÉ’s hope that, in the public interest of all those who follow Gaelic games, the matter can be resolved."