McDonald's in Portugal has apologised over a Halloween ice cream campaign which featured the slogan 'Sundae Bloody Sundae'.

It was thought to allude to the U2 song 'Sunday Bloody Sunday', and offered two-for-one ice cream sundaes.

The US fast-food chain says it had not intended "an insensitive reference" to the Bloody Sunday massacre, in which 14 unarmed civilians were killed in Co Derry in January 1972.

Bloody Sunday was seen as one of the most significant events of The Troubles in Northern Ireland.

McDonald's Portugal told the Guardian newspaper that it was intended as a celebration of Halloween and not to any historical event.

In a statement, it said: "When promoting its Halloween Sundae ice cream, McDonald's Portugal developed a local market activation for a small number of its restaurants in Portugal.

"The campaign was intended as a celebration of Halloween, not as an insensitive reference to any historical event or to upset or insult anyone in any way.

"We sincerely apologise for any offence or distress this may have caused."

A McDonald's restaurant is seen in New York in 2015 | Image: Richard B. Levine/SIPA USA/PA Images

The advertising campaign has since been pulled.

This is not the first time a company has had to apologise for promoting products with the phrase.

Back in 2013, a bar in London was slammed over its decision to name a cocktail 'Sundae, Bloody Sundae'.

The ice cream based drink was served at the Adventure Bar in Covent Garden.

It also came complete with a small, green army man carrying a rifle.

A spokesman for bar at the time said they were 'highly apologetic' over the incident.

"Perception in London is very different, and to those people who are upset we are highly apologetic. We are not in the business of trying to upset people" he said.

"It was originally a reference to an Alan Partridge sketch but clearly this has been misconstrued, as we are understanding more as people make comments online", he added.

Main image via @bigmonsterlove on Twitter