Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill said the historic tweets posted by MPs from three parties were “offensive and unacceptable”.

s O’Neill was commenting after old tweets containing derogatory phrases and comments posted by MPs Jemma Dolan, Sinead Ennis and Emma Sheeran were discovered by BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Show.

Ms O’Neill said: “The comments are false, they are offensive and are not acceptable language for a representative of Sinn Fein.

“I spoke directly with each of the MPs and told them this very clearly.

“They each told me that they deeply regret the language used and would apologize.”

Each of the three MPs also posted their own individual apologies on the social media platform.

Ms Sheerin said she was ‘deeply sorry’ for her ‘offensive terminology’.

Ms Ennis said she was ‘sorry for using language which I accept was totally inappropriate and wrong’.

While Ms Dolan wrote: ‘I would like to apologize and say that I regret and am truly sorry for the offense caused by the comments I have made historically on social media.

“These comments were unacceptable and in no way represent how I would express myself now.”

The tweets were posted between 2012 and 2013, before the three women represented the party as MPs.

Revealed on the Nolan Show, some of the posts feature misogynistic language, while others refer to sectarian slurs.

Others target specific individuals, including Lady Mary Peters and Irish broadcaster Ryan Tubridy.

Mr Nolan read tweets attributed to Sinn Fein MP for South Down Sinead Ennis, Mid Ulster MP Emma Sheerin and a tweet from Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Jemma Dolan.

Several of Ms Ennis’ tweets reference the sectarian slur “hun” in their content.

In response to another user, Ms Ennis tweeted on March 21, 2012: “Some people got hit with the ugly stick, you got raped by the whole forest.”

In one of the tweets referenced by Mr Nolan, Ms Ennis described Northern Irish Olympian Lady Mary Peters, who won gold in 1972, as a “dishonest fanatic”.

In another tweet from April 26, 2013, the politician referred to RTE broadcaster Ryan Tubridy in a message responding to former Sinn Fein chairman Gerry Adams, writing: “Ryan Turbidy [sic] was dead for once and kept his ugly mouth shut? »

In a tweet from December 7, 2012, Ms Ennis wrote: ‘These b***** dudes can kiss my ass if they think they’re ruining my day.’

Another from December 16, 2012, said: “Currently in London – capital of the beloved Huns of the UK – I have yet to see a butcher’s apron.”

Referring to fans of Liverpool Football Club and the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) paramilitary group on December 7, 2012, Ms Ennis wrote: “But they are huns! I’ve been to LFC games in particular [sic] the uefc cup game against the celtic a few years ago and every other scarf was an LVF 1.”

Following the emergence of a series of historic tweets from Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie, Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill has said his comments ‘about women, race and others are outrageous and totally unacceptable “.

“There is a litany of abuse on his account and the public will make up their own mind about it,” she added.

On December 24, 2012, Sinead Ennis tweeted, “There’s a guy by the pool here who swears he’s got bigger boobs than me.”

Mr. Nolan also read tweets attributed to Ms. Sheerin, including one in which she described someone as looking like “manure” and another tweet from January 5, 2013, in which she wrote: “She looks pretty sexy for a prostitute”.

A tweet he read from Ms Dolan as she replied to a friend referred to a pejorative term for mental illness.

Responding on Twitter, Ms Sheerin apologized for her comments.

“I am deeply sorry for using offensive terminology on social media,” she wrote.

“It was and is completely unacceptable. That is not how I would express myself today and I unreservedly apologize for any offense these comments have caused.”

Ms Ennis said: ‘I deeply regret the offensive comments I made on social media. I’m sorry for using language that I accept was totally inappropriate and wrong.

“I apologize unreservedly for the offense caused.”

Responding to tweets earlier, SDLP MP Colin McGrath said the content was “inappropriate” and claimed the use of language was something “most people would find offensive”.

He said he did not think that was the appropriate language for members of the Stormont Assembly.

“I think people have to be very careful about what they tweet and if they resort to that kind of language I think they’ve lost whatever argument or debate they’re engaged in,” he said. said on the Nolan Show.

“I think it gives all politicians a bad name. I think that kind of language brings a kind of toxicity to politics in general. You have to call him.

“It will take Michelle O’Neill speaking out against this behavior today. Collectively there must be a subscription from all politicians that there is no more of this. Some of these remarks that have been made are just laudable .