Protests are expected at University College Cork on Monday night when controversial rightwing historian Dr David Irving is due to address the student Philosophical Society.
Dr Irving, who has described the gas chambers at Auschwitz as "fakes" aimed at luring tourists, sparked heated debate in 1993 and 1988 when student societies invited him to address them. Those invitations were cancelled after threats of violence were made to the organisers.
On Monday Dr Irving is to address the theme of "Myths of the Second World War". The invitation was made three months ago and Dr Irving confirmed his attendance earlier this week, said auditor Mr Stephen Vaughan.
The decision to invite the historian was criticised yesterday by the Socialist Party TD, Mr Joe Higgins. He said members of his party would be joining a protest by the Anti-Racist Coalition in UCC on Monday evening.
"Fascists debate not in the nice language of the Philosophical Society but with weapons in hand. Therefore I call upon the Philosophical Society not to be associated with this hatred and ignorance and to withdraw their invitation," he said.
Mr Vaughan said he held discussions with the security office at the college and was assured the meeting would take place without any disturbances. He said the society's job was to "provoke" debate and it was not endorsing Dr Irving's views by inviting him to speak. "We provide topics for debate and this is an important one," he added.
He said the society was seeking someone to speak in opposition to Dr Irving, but had been turned down by several people.
He said the UCC president's office had told him members of the public had lodged protests about Dr Irving's visit. The college president, Prof Gerard Wrixon, was not available for comment last night.
Dr Irving rose to prominence with his 1977 book, Hitler's War, which suggested it was inaccurate to state that six million Jews died during the Holocaust. He claimed Adolf Hitler did not order the Holocaust and many of the Jews who died during the second World War perished from typhoid.