Johnny Depp has written the foreword to a new book about Gerry Conlon, one of the Gilford Four who spent 15 years in a British prison after he was wrongly accused of being involved in an IRA bombing. His story was made into the Oscar winning movie 'In The Name Of The Father'.
But in the foreword, Depp recalls going on a sojourn across Ireland with Gerry. "Our brief pitstop in Limerick proved to be one of the most chaotic nights that I can ever remember. Suffice to say, we conquered Stab City," he writes.
But local Fianna Fáil TD Willie O'Dea has slammed Depp for libelling Limerick with his scurrilous remark.
"He's basing this on a visit back in 1991," he told the Irish Independent. "Not only was Stab City the wrong designation in 1991 but in 2017 it is so out-of-date it is laughable. It's a libel on a city.
"It was always a grossly unfair and grossly overstated description of Limerick. We have worked very hard and come an awful long way and I think it's very unfortunate that someone would choose to resurrect this insult."
He is now calling on Johnny Depp to revisit Limerick. "I would extend an invitation to this gentleman to meet me on any weekend in Limerick and I'll take him around and show him what Limerick has become," O'Dea says.
"I'm available any weekend at all and he'd be more than welcome. I'd take him to the industrial parks where there's huge inward investment and I'll take him to all the cultural spots and we can finish off by going for a drink in some of the up-market bars along the river.
"That comment bares no relation to the Limerick of today. Limerick now doesn't really have a crime problem, the gardaí have done wonderful work here and it is a very cultural city.
"I'd love to see Johnny Depp return to the city and we would show him the real Limerick."