Man denies calling model a racist

RYANAIR’S head of communications has denied calling former Miss World Rosanna Davison a racist after she complained that no Irish girls were used by Ryanair in its annual charity calendar.

Stephen McNamara said the press release he posted on Ryanair’s website on November 11, 2008, was not an attack on Ms Davison herself but rather on comments she had made. It was “pretty juvenile” for her to take High Court proceedings for defamation over it, he believed.

He denied suggestions that the press release was an “unjustified”, “unprovoked” and “vicious” attack on Ms Davison, that Ryanair is a “corporate bully” and was using the case to generate publicity.