Controversy follows Taoiseach to US

Taoiseach Enda Kenny may face protests at the St Patrick's Day parade in Atlanta in the US.

He is due to serve as grand marshal of the parade, which gets underway at 4am Irish time tomorrow.

Local TV stations are reporting a large amount of online opposition to the Taoiseach's presence, with many raising the Government's stance on water charges.

One station's newsreader referred to Mr Kenny as a "controversial figure in Ireland", and said that many people accuse him of "being racist, and turning his back on the poor", before later clarifying "we don't know if the claims against the Irish Prime Minister are true".