Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes apologises for Obama ‘blackface’ Halloween costume

Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes has apologised for wearing a 'blackface' Halloween costume.

Mr Hayes issued the apology for wearing a Barack Obama costume in 2009, which included brown makeup on his hands and face.

Blackface costumes have been linked to racial stereotyping, which stems from the historic 'minstrel' shows in the US where white performers blackened their faces with shoe polish and mimicked enslaved Africans.

Mr Hayes said in a statement: "At a Halloween party 16 years ago, while President of the Students’ Union in University College Cork, I dressed up as someone I greatly admired at the time, US President Barack Obama – whose re-election campaign I went on to work for in 2012. As part of this costume, I wore brown makeup on my face and hands.

"While I didn’t have an understanding of how hurtful it was at the time, I came to recognise that in the intervening years and I am so profoundly sorry. What I did was completely inappropriate and a huge mistake.

"I condemn racism in all its forms and do not condone that behaviour under any circumstances.

"I take full responsibility for my actions and from the bottom of my heart, I apologise for any and all hurt caused by what I did and the images of that night."

In a statement, the Social Democrats said: "The Social Democrats abhor all forms of racism. Deputy Hayes has acknowledged that what he did was wrong, offensive and hurtful. He has taken full responsibility for his actions and issued an unreserved apology."

Mr Hayes was suspended by the Social Democrats last December after he provided incorrect information to the media about when he disposed of shares in Palantir, a US company that supplies the IDF with artificial intelligence tools.

He was recently readmitted to the parliamentary party.

Mr Hayes said: "At the outset, I want to give a full and unequivocal apology for giving the incorrect information to the media about when I divested from Palantir. I also want to be clear that I should not have held the shares for as long as I did."

Mr Hayes said he made a $51,000 donation, split between three separate humanitarian organisations active in Gaza — UNRWA, UNICEF and Doctors Without Borders.

"This figure represents the uplift in share price, less applicable taxes, from October 7, 2023, to July 26, 2024, when I sold the shares," Mr Hayes said.

The latest controversy comes just one day before party leader Holly Cairns returns from maternity leave.