IRA merchandise which provoked outrage when it appeared on Sinn Féin's revamped official website has been removed, it has emerged.
T-shirts bearing the slogan "Sniper at Work" - a reference to the infamous marksman who operated in south Armagh at the height of the Troubles - can no longer be purchased.
Nationalists and unionists who accused Sinn Féin of glorifying violence claimed it had buckled under intense pressure.
The SDLP former Assembly member Mr Eugene McMenamin said: "It's obvious that the huge public outcry caused this.
"That T-shirt was appalling, particularly to those whose relatives lost their lives to that sniper."
However another T-shirt bearing the logo "IRA Undefeated Army" was tonight still available for purchase.
But Mr McMenamin insisted he was satisfied with the concession.
The former West Tyrone MLA said: "I'm just delighted common sense has prevailed."
The merchandise caused unrest on both sides of the Atlantic, and there were also reports that a Dublin-based Internet Service Provider planned to pull the plug on the website.
A Sinn Féin spokesman dismissed the claims, pointing out that the party site was hosted by an American ISP.
He was also unable to explain why the "Sniper at Work" T-shirt had been taken off by a Dublin-based firm he said was merely linked to the site.
"We don't have any control over what is sold at the online shop and if they have removed anything it's a matter for them," he said.
"They are a merchandising company and we could scream until we are blue in the face and they can say it's none of your business."
PA