The Schoolboy Football Association of Ireland said today it is investigating an allegation of racial abuse towards a 14-year-old African-born player during a cup game at the weekend.
Monkey chants were shouted from a small section of the crowd at an U15s game on Saturday.
The referee ordered teenage players off the pitch due to the chants as the teenager was left in tears.
Schools FAI general secretary Martin O’Hanlon confirmed that the association is investigating the sickening incident.
“We take something like this very seriously, but short of making an assessment, I can’t say anything. We have an allegation of racist taunting,” he said.
The organisation is awaiting the referee’s report on the incident. “We have spoken to football people, not the boy, people have rang us about it,” said Mr O’Hanlon.
The teenager’s coach has said there were very clear monkey chants coming from one section of the crowd “every time he touched the ball”. The referee warned the crowd that he would abandon play, but he then re-started the game.