Martin Compston says he 'unequivocally did not sing ANY sectarian songs' at Celtic event

·2 min read
Actor Martin Compston during the International Friendly match at Hampden Park, Glasgow. Picture date: Thursday March 24, 2022.
Martin Compston has addressed the stories on Twitter. (PA)

Martin Compston has made it clear that he wasn’t singing an IRA song during a Celtic get together in America.

The Line Of Duty star, 38, was apparently a guest at the North American Celtic Supporters Federation event in Las Vegas and was filmed on stage singing and bopping around with a group of other people.

Reports suggested some people were singing an IRA chant to the tune of the 1972 Daniel Boone song Beautiful Sunday.

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However, the Scottish actor — who is a big Celtics supporter — has set the record straight about his own involvement, saying he was singing Boone’s track and “did not sing ANY sectarian songs”.

Addressing the reports on Twitter, he said: “Not best pleased to wake up to a story eight hours ahead of me before I've had the right to reply.

"Let me be absolutely clear, I unequivocally did not sing ANY sectarian songs.

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Celtic Legends' Martin Compston poses with fans after the game
Action Images via Reuters / Graham Stuart
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Martin Compston is a celtics fan. (Action Images via Reuters / Graham Stuart Livepic)

"I've worked in Belfast too long to see damage done to think this stuff is a laugh.

“If people want to change lyrics to a song that's sung at Celtic Park, weddings, Still Game wherever that's up to them I'm not the lyric police.”

Martin Compston performs a very different accent when he portrays DI Steve Arnott on 'Line of Duty'. (Steffan Hill/BBC)
The actor as Steve Arnott in Line Of Duty. (Steffan Hill/BBC)

The actor - who is best known for playing DI Steve Arnott in the police drama – went on: “If it was an IRA song and I was onstage bobbing along I would understand the story but I'm pretty sure Daniel Boone had nothing more than Beautiful Sundays in mind when he wrote the song and that's what I was singing.”

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Yahoo has contacted representatives for Compston for comment.

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