Amnesty International has praised the lone stand of a member of Clare County Council who has given up an expenses-paid trip to Charleston in South Carolina this weekend to celebrate St Patrick's Day.
Fine Gael member Mr Joe Arkins said he has declined to go due to South Carolina actively practising the death penalty.
"I am not going because I have a personal aversion to the death penalty. I know some of my colleagues may not be pleased by my stance, but I felt it would have been remiss of me not to say something.
"I hope my colleagues enjoy their time. It is a junket of a lifetime, but it is something I feel strongly about."
According to the latest figures, South Carolina has a total of 70 death row prisoners - including five juveniles. Since 1976, there have been 25 executions through lethal injection or electrocution and the minimum age to receive the death penalty is 16. The state does not forbid the execution of the mentally retarded.
Director of Amnesty International's Irish Section, Mr Sean Love, said yesterday: "It is very praiseworthy. The very principled decision Cllr Arkins has taken highlights what is going on in the US. The US is among the top three or four executioners of its own people in the world."
Fifteen council colleagues of Cllr Arkins, including the chairman, Cllr Sean Hillery, flew out on Thursday for five days during which Charleston will be twinned with Clare.
Before flying out, Cllr Hillery said: "Joe has a good point, but on the other hand, my point of view would be to meet and talk with them and try to maybe influence and ask `why don't you get rid of the death penalty?'"
A member of the Charleston based Twinning Committee, Mr David McCann, said he is sorry and disappointed at Cllr Arkins's decision not to travel. Mr McCann said: "I wish Cllr Arkins would reconsider and visit our fair city. I am not a proponent of the death penalty, but I would look forward to sitting down with Cllr Arkins to discuss and share ideas on the subject."