Lidl listens to Laois not Queen's County over Gaelic Games banner

Lidl has kept its word and replaced a billboards which caused offence in Laois for the use of colonial name Queen's County.

The supermarket chain has replaced the offending ads which had the logo 'Queens County Royalty' with one featuring the name 'Coming Back for Moore'.

The chain promised it would remove the ad after the Leinster Express highlighted the existence of the billboard and the use of the Queen's County term in the original ad which featured Jane Moore of the Laois Ladies Gaelic Football team.

Both Lidl and the Ladies Gaelic Football Association said the first ad was used in error. Lidl committed to immediately replacing it with the correct version. The German-owned supermarket chain also apologised.

Laois was named Queen's County by Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII. It was given the name in tandem with King's County now Offaly, as part of a bloody colonisation of the two counties in the 1500s. 

The native chieftains like the O'Moore Clan were expelled our murdered with their lands planted. A military fort was established in Portlaoise which was called Maryborough by the colonists.

The 'beyond the pale conquest was successful and the approach taken, was replicated by the English in building its empire around the world. 

The county was named Laois and Maryborough renamed Portlaoise after the Free State was established when Indepdendence was won for 26 counties.