Irish people showed the same racist attitudes to which they were victims in other countries in the past, a judge said yesterday.
Judge James O'Sullivan said the frequency of racist slurs in this State was appalling.
He made his remarks during a case in which a retired Co Roscommon man had written a letter to a black man which contained indecent words of a grossly offensive character.
Patrick Naughton (72), of Clonfad, Co Roscommon, admitted at Ballinasloe court that he sent the offensive letter to Mr Selliah Ramachandron, of Orpen Close, Stillorgan, last February.
The court heard he had written the letter when he became extremely annoyed after reading newspaper coverage of a high-profile court case in which Mr Ramachandron had been involved in harassing and stalking a girl in Co Galway.
Mr Ramachandron was jailed for that offence but succeeded recently in overturning the conviction at the Court of Criminal Appeal.
Naughton apologised in court yesterday and said he was ashamed afterwards at what he had done.
Judge O'Sullivan applied the Probation Act after Naughton undertook to make a £200 contribution to an Irish refugee fund.