RTE confirm ‘Fairytale of New York’ will continue to be played uncensored

The broadcaster issued a statement on Thursday

RTÉ has moved to clarify its stance on Christmas anthem 'Fairytale of New York', which has been the subject of debate in recent days. RTÉ 2FM broadcasters Eoghan McDermott and Stephen Byrne both voiced their objections to the song's use of the F-word on Twitter this week. McDermott and Byrne separately made the argument that censoring the offending term in the song shouldn't detract from its enjoyment. "The fact this song is a classic isn't a strong enough defence to not at least censor it," noted McDermott, while Byrne highlighted his own difficult personal experiences with the track. "People can do and say what they want," he said on Twitter. "I hate the lack of appreciation for why it hurts people more than the actual lack of censorship of the actual word. I'm a big boy." Responding to a request for comment by JOE on Thursday afternoon, an RTÉ spokesperson issued the following statement: "The song 'Fairytale of New York' will continue to be played on RTÉ Radio without omissions." RTÉ has issued no further comment at this time.