'Up the Ra' video woman called on to apologise and engage with IRA victims

In a video selfie – at an awards dinner in Belfast last weekend – the woman films herself alongside the former DUP leader and begins singing ‘ooh ah, up the Ra’ before Mrs Foster is seen showing her disappointment.

She was subsequently named as Sinead Murtagh from the south Armagh area – a voluntary counsellor at St Pauls High School in Bessbrook.

Dame Arlene’s police reservist father was shot and seriously wounded by the IRA at their family farm near Rosslea in 1979. The IRA also bombed a school bus she was travelling on in Lisnaskea in 1988.

Kenny Donaldson, Spokesman for Innocent Victims United stated: "This was not an example of freedom of speech, but rather was and is an example of the mainstreaming of terrorism and violence, under the guise of comedy.

" In life we can all make errors of judgement and mistakes, but when we do we need to take account of this, deal with the issues and then seek to move forward.

"The young woman concerned should account for her actions, make an apology and if and when she does so, we will be willing to engage with her, bringing across to her the reality of the ‘RA’ and the painful legacy which remains because of their ethnic and sectarian motivated campaign.”

Mr Donaldson added: "We hope and trust that the school to which she is connected would support this position and will be advising the young woman concerned to deal with the issue".

In a statement, the school said it works “tirelessly to embrace diversity and encourage multicultural harmony,” and added: “St Pauls High School is aware of an incident which occurred on social media and are following proper procedures. The female in question had engaged with the school in a voluntary capacity. However due to recent circumstances has requested a period of personal leave and the school are supporting her in this decision.

The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) said it could not comment on the matter as "Sinead Murtagh is not employed by the CCMS”.