An investigation is underway into an allegation of racial abuse against Rose of Tralee winner Kirsten Mate Maher, who is mixed race.
The incident is said to have occurred at a takeaway in Kilkenny over the weekend.
Is racism still a big problem in Ireland, or has our society generally become more tolerant?
Joe Loughnane, whose mother is from Pakistan, is chairperson of the Galway Anti Racism Society. He says that, growing up, racial abuse towards mixed race people was normal.
"I have an Irish name and an Irish accent, but in school it was tough because I was the only lad who was a different colour, and I would be called every name under the sun."
Joe has also experienced racism in his adult life: "I've had situations where I would be called a terrorist or an Islamic bomber. They negate the Irish part."
Ziz O'Beirne from the Today FM marketing team also experienced racial abuse at school. Her mother is Irish and her father is Moroccan.
"My first incident would have been when I was about seven or eight, with two guys on a ferry to Wales calling me names and saying I was going to rob them because I was a different colour."
"When I was younger I didn't want to tell people my name, and I used to straighten my hair all the time. As a defence mechanism I wanted to blend in as much as possible."
Joe says it can be difficult to stand up for yourself due to the threat of violence: "Often you're walking into something and you have no idea what's going to happen next, and these people feel like they have a right to say this to you."
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