Dominic Monaghan thinks IRA ‘did Manchester a favour’ by bombing city

Dominic Monaghan (AKA Charlie from Lost) has put his foot in it, by saying that the IRA ‘did Manchester a favour ‘ by bombing the city centre 14 years ago.

Dominic made the comments on air during an interview with an LA radio station.

He said: “When I was growing up there it was much rougher and then the IRA did one of the greatest favours they have ever done for us – they planted a bomb in the town centre and because of the large Irish contingent living in Manchester, they alerted police and everyone left (the town centre).”

“Then they blew it up and the government gave us a billion pounds to rebuild it… so the town centre is really cleaned up.”

City centre councillor Pat Karney told MEN that Monaghan had ‘perpetuated a myth’.

“That the bomb did us a favour is one of the big Manchester myths of modern times,” he said. “I remember what the lady who had 30 pieces of glass in her face looked like. I was one of the hundreds who ran screaming from the city.”

“When I think about the bomb I don’t think about it as a favour.”