Irish golfer Padraig Harrington has slammed the French team for the way they celebrated after Thierry Henry's hand ball helped them win their World Cup clash with Ireland.

Ireland's leading sportsman told the Irish Examiner : "Their celebration of cheating was particularly galling.

"It’s just strange because in golf there is a different attitude. But in football, if somebody makes a mistake, I would say putting your hand out is a reaction and a mistake.

“So the great thing in golf is if we do something wrong, we hold our hand up and say, hey, hang on a second, I didn’t mean that, sorry. You go back and take your penalty. 

"It just seems perfectly reasonable for that to happen but not in France’s case. But the celebration was pretty hard to look at. 

"Everybody makes a mistake and I would not hold it against them, but then to act like it never happened." 

Meanwhile, former GAA president Sean Kelly has called for a replay. "What happened on Wednesday was appalling. As an Irish sports fan, I am angry and annoyed at the injustice of Thierry Henry’s double hand ball,” he said. 

"The decision to permit the goal to stand has possibly cost the Irish economy millions and, equally importantly, has deprived Ireland of the chance of a morale boost in these times of recession.”