A Kilkenny vintner has landed in the middle of a diplomatic row. The Mexican Embassy in Dublin has taken umbrage at the name of a new restaurant in the city - The Drunken Mexican, in Parliament Street.
The owner, Mr Michael O'Connor, said there was never any intention of causing offence to Mexicans, and he does not intend to change the name.
The embassy wants him to do so voluntarily and yesterday, the deputy head of the mission, Mr Miguel Vilchis, wrote to Kilkenny City Borough Council asking it to get further involved in the controversy.
A city council official earlier approached Mr O'Connor to remove a large banner bearing the name The Drunken Mexican, which stretched across the street and he did so.
Now Mr Vilchis wants the council to appeal to Mr O'Connor to remove the rest of the offensive signs located on the outside of the premises.
"We want to resolve this matter on a voluntary basis," Mr Vilchis told the Kilkenny People.
Asked if the embassy will consider legal action against Mr O'Connor, if he refused to rename the restaurant, Mr Vilchis said he would wait and see what happened before proceeding further.
Mr O'Connor countered that the name was now established in the city and he would not be changing it.
He claimed that there was no intended slur on Mexico because he was promoting Mexican food and the restaurant was proving extremely popular with locals and visitors.
He denied being racist or anti-Mexican and said there were Irish bars all over the world, and not all the names were complimentary to the Irish people.
He admitted being informed of the embassy's displeasure over the sign by an official of the city council.
Mr O'Connor said the restaurant was proving extremely popular with locals and visitors.
He said he would like to discuss the matter with the diplomats and has issued an invitation to the Mexican Ambassador, Dr Agustin Basave, to come to the restaurant and sample the food.