The Mayor of Limerick, Mr Joe Harrington, has claimed there is a media campaign to smear him and says he is preparing a legal case. Because of this he would not contest the local elections.
The mayor was referring to an article in the Sunday World "about my partner and I which was of a very upsetting nature", illustrated by "a Limerick Leader photo graph".
The editor of the Limerick Leader, Mr Brendan Halligan, responded that the picture was taken at a public function at the request of the mayor.