24 Apr 2013

Ireland cricketer banned for Thatcher tweet

7:16 am on 24 April 2013

The Irish cricket international John Mooney has been given a three-match suspension by his national federation for a tweet he posted about the death of Margaret Thatcher.

The 31-year-old all-rounder wrote that he hoped the foremer British Prime Minister's death had been "slow and painful".

Mooney later deleted the tweet and apologised, acknowledging his comment was "offensive to many".