Waterford hotelier sues RTE after brothel reference in satirical skit

An 84-year-old hotelier from Waterford is suing RTÉ, claiming that a Nob Nation skit defames him by implying his guesthouse is a brothel.

Vincent O'Toole, who runs the Maryland Hotel, claims that he has been jeered at and abused since the broadcast aired on 'The Gerry Ryan Show' in August 2008 and that tourists have turned up looking for women.

The High Court heard that the skit said the Maryland was a byword in Waterford for prostitution.

In the skit, comedian Oliver Callan as 'Kevin My-arse' does a guide to Waterford slang and states that: "The Maryland is a byword in Waterford for prostitution although the original establishment has ceased trading".

A podcast of the sketch was also made available and it was put up on YouTube.

The hotelier previously won a libel action against the Sunday World in 2007 regarding a similar claim.