Jane Fonda, Martin McGuinness and a flying visit to Derry’s Bogside in 1976

Jane Fonda, actress, political activist and former fashion model, made reference to the visit during an interview on RTE’s ‘Late Late Show’.

Fonda told host Ryan Tubridy that she and her late husband, Tom Hayden, had been looking for Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams during the visit in 1976.

“But somebody directed us to Martin McGuinness’ home,” she said. “We were sitting in the living room when a body was carried in, bleeding a lot. It was the Troubles and it was sort of shocking.”

The 82 year old said the couple’s son, Troy, then aged about six or seven, was with them at the time,

“Tom put some of the blood on his fingers and said to Troy, ‘Your forefathers, your forebearers, your people,” she said.

The interview then moved on without further elaboration.

However, Mr McGuinness’ son, Fiachra, later posted a photograph taken during Fonda’s visit on Twitter.

He tweeted: “Jane Fonda telling a different story from the one that actually happened. Here she is happy enough with my father at his home.”

He added: “Jane Fonda bringing a fiction movie to the Bogside in Derry.”

Fiachra McGuinness also remarked about how little time was given to the Derry visit during the interview, describing it as “heavily edited”.

The late deputy First Minister had previously talked about the Fonda visit.

He said he had returned from Sunday Mass to find the actress sitting in his kitchen.

He said he and his family showed Fonda and her family around the Bogside and made them dinner.

“They stayed with us all day,” he said, adding that the actress appeared genuinely interested in the Irish Troubles.

After her visit to the Bogside, Jane Fonda continued campaigning on Irish issues.

In 1981, she lobbied British prime minister Margaret Thatcher to end the Long Kesh hunger strikes.

It’s understood she sent a telegram to Thatcher asking that all republican inmates be reclassified as political prisoners.

She won her Oscars for “Klute” and “Coming Home”.