Peace breaks out in ketchup row

Peace broke out under the battlements of Limerick’s King John’s Castle yesterday between a leading barrister and a top publisher who had been locked in a war of words over tomato ketchup.

Magazine publisher Michael O’Doherty raised the hackles of lawyer Brendan Nix, SC, with comments he made about Limerick on the Come Dine With Me TV series.

Mr O’Doherty had said when Limerick model Madeleine Mulqueen put tomato ketchup on lobster, it was the “grossest thing he’d seen since he was last in Limerick”.

In a flurry of verbal exchanges, Mr Nix threatened legal action such was his rage at the comments denigrating his native city. But after Mr O’Doherty apologised, he was invited to Limerick by Mr Nix, who arranged to have him see the real Limerick at its best.

He was accompanied on visits to various fashion shops by TV celeb Celia Holman Lee.

Mr O’Doherty said: “I have been given a very favourable impression and the city looks great.”

Mr Nix presented Mr O’Doherty with a bottle of tomato ketchup and said the visit would get a huge amount of positive publicity for Limerick.

Last night both men crossed knives and forks in the Cornstore restaurant in the city centre.