Several parishioners had complained to local priest Fr Padriag Costello about the ‘disrespectful’ behaviour who told parishioners that the local cemetery committee did not give the Hardy Bucks crew permission to film there.

However, Mayo County Council soon confirmed that they had given the production company Hardy Films permission to film in the graveyard. The council was then forced to apologise for any offence caused due to the sensitivity of the issue.

“The County Council did give permission for the filming subject to certain conditions all of which were met by the production company or their agents”, said Marie Crowley, the Head of Ballina Municipal District. “We regret any upset felt by the local community and acknowledge the sensitivities around this type of activity particularly in a graveyard setting.”

Producer for Hardy Bucks Michael Caine spoke out in defence of the decision to film in the graveyard.

“We went through the correct protocol and everything was above board. The crew made sure not to feature any headstones or graves in the shots. We treated the graveyard with care and respect”, Caine said.

Cast member Martin Moloney, who plays Eddie Durkan, has since issued an apology for any offence caused by the sketch.

“The last thing we wanted to do was upset people. Our show is all about making people laugh. It would never be our intention to deliberately upset anyone. It’s unfortunate that this happened,” Moloney said.