THE Muintir na hEireann party has called for a boycott of the business activities of millionaire businessman Mr Richard Branson, whose Irish interests include Virgin cinemas, Virgin Cola and the Virgin Megastore.
The boycott is in protest at the sale of what are described as "pornographic videos, priced low enough for teenagers to buy".
At a planning meeting of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council last night, Muintir na hEireann's chairman, Councillor Richard Greene, said his party had written to the developers of a new shopping centre in Dun Laoghaire, urging them not to rent space to Virgin cinemas.
Mr Greene said his group had written to the promoters of the Republic's first "Bloomfields" store, planned for the same shopping centre, warning them of a boycott if Virgin was a co tenant.
Mr Greene told The Irish Times his party had also written to the Christian Centrist Party and Catholic groups, such as the Legion of Mary, St Vincent de Paul and St Joseph's Young Priests Society, urging them to support the boycott.
"There are over 100,000 people in these groups and the campaign is designed to hurt Virgin as much as possible until they withdraw the £4.99 videos, which are affordable by teenagers who are corruptible", said Councillor Greene.