Irish university professor 'delighted to say I heard the explosion' that killed Mountbatten and three others

She holds the title of associate professor at the University of British Columbia in Canada, specialising in Latin literature and Roman culture (and is currently on leave while returning to Ireland).

She has also worked on a translation of ancient Roman orator Cicero for the Penguin Classics book 'In Defence of the Republic'.

Mountbatten, a key Allied commander during World War Two and the last British governor of India, was blown up in an IRA attack on his fishing boat off the Sligo coast in 1979, aged 78.

Two children aged 14 and 15, Nicholas Knatchbull and Paul Maxwell, and Doreen Knatchbull, 83, were also onboard and were killed.

Three other passengers (two adults and a child) were injured but survived.

Dr McElduff began making the posts on Twitter on Monday in reaction to another Twitter user who was lamenting his murder.

The professor responded: "I am delighted to say that A. I heard the explosion and B. We were raided by the Guards the day after in case my dad might have had something to do with it.

"Personal connections to the aristocracy as [sic] so important."

Noticing her spelling mistake, she then added: "'Are so important'. But Mountbatten really isn't worth fixing that typo, so there it will sit."

In reply to criticism of her remarks, particularly of the fact the bombing killed two teenage boys, she wrote: "Wonder how many children died during the partition of India?

"Or how many Irish children Mountbatten abused? Guess those aren't grist to your mill, tho…

"Jesus, I didn't blow him up. I'm just not unhappy to have heard the explosion."

She also went on to add: "People more outraged that I am not unhappy to have heard the explosion than at Partition and other assorted Mountbatten awfulness.

"Either that or they think at 9 years old I set the bomb rather than hearing a loud boom like half the county."

The News Letter noted the comment had attracted criticism and asked prof McElduff about it.

She responded: "Nothing about the bomb going off delighted me, but I'm not sorry to have heard it. It was a major historic event."

She also changed her Twitter setting so her tweets are protected (meaning most people can't read them anymore).

Dr McElduff is a cousin of Aidan McAnespie, a 23-year-old Sinn Fein election worker who was fatally shot in the back at a south Tyrone checkpoint in 1988 by a soldier.

Last year, ex-soldier David Jonathan Holden (who was aged 18 at the time) was convicted of Mr McAnespie's manslaughter, and given a three-year suspended sentence.

Dr McElduff (@siobhanmcelduff) is a prolific user of Twitter where she has just over 4,000 followers.

Her timeline is filled with posts about transgenderism, condemnations of fascism and racism, and criticism of the media.

Her brief Twitter biography reads: "Trans. of Cicero for Penguin Classics, author of obscure academic books, and less obscure OERs [open educational resources]. Writing on labouring classes and the classics. She/her nó sí/í."

She has written about her distaste for the royals a number of times.

For example last October she wrote: "I find the British instinctual kneebending to the King fairly wild. It seems to get even the best of them. Poor creatures, can't help themselves. Well, some of them."

In December she said of Irish journalist Mary Kenny: "I feel even West Brits would try to get away from her."

Last October she also wrote a post, apparently about how she feels her online comments are misinterpreted.

It read: "Me: It would be nice if people in our national media reflected on the terrible grief inflicting on many different people and groups during the troubles at roughly the same rates.

"Some people on Twitter: YOU SUPPORT THE MURDEROUS IRA CAMPAIGN I SEE…

"I don't support murder."

• Chart showing the Troubles death toll and how many people were killed by each faction

• Coleraine bomb 50 years on: 'We need to consider victims here' says the Sinn Fein man behind the bloodbath

• Coleraine bomb 50 years on: 'Massacre spurred me on to join the UVF and I will not say sorry’