“It is not intended as a personal judgment on Ed Sheeran, and we acknowledge his own explanation of the circumstances surrounding recent events.”
Kelly said the station’s decision related to the one made by the Irish acts that decided to pull out of Sheeran’s tour in support of Macklemore.
Finneas, Lukas Graham, Irish band Beoga and Irish singer Aaron Rowe all said they were quitting the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
“As an independent Irish-owned radio station, however, we believe it is important to listen to our audience and to stand alongside Irish artists who have made what is undoubtedly a significant professional decision based on their own convictions,” Kelly added.
“Ultimately, our position is a simple one. We believe in peace, humanity and respect, and in the right of people and artists to express and act upon their sincerely held views.”
The station, which is one of the biggest commercial radio stations in Ireland, said the decision to remove Sheeran’s music will stay “under review”.
The Galway Girl singer continues to suffer backlash for his decision to remove Macklemore from his US tour, following the American rapper’s calls for a free Palestine.
Macklemore made the impassioned speech on stage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4.
Sheeran has issued a divisive statement of his own, stating he is not “complicit” and the decision was made by the tour promoter rather than himself.
Ed Sheeran and Macklemore have a longstanding friendship. Photo / Getty Images
After Macklemore’s announcement that he had been dropped, all of Sheeran’s opening acts decided to leave the tour in solidarity with the artist. Sheeran’s band made the same decision.
The Thinking Out Loud singer, who refused to take a side in the genocide, is now due to continue his US tour without any supporting artists or band.
A growing number of fans are said to be trying to resell tickets for Sheeran’s shows, with many others calling on Ticketmaster to issue refunds, particularly as the opening bands will no longer perform.
The backlash against Sheeran has been swift and on a global scale. This week, the Ed Sheeran mural in Dunedin was targeted by taggers who added the words “Free Palestine”.
The words “FREE PALESTINE” were painted across the bottom of Dunedin’s Ed Sheeran mural in Bath St, while red paint was splashed across the portrait and left dripping down his face and neck. Photo / Ben Tomsett
Sheeran has also lost more than 300,000 followers on Instagram since the controversy became public.