Dearest Mr Bagster,
if you find the irish way of life so appalling, then may I suggest you go find somewhere else to live? Perhaps Germany? Although I would wish neither you nor the ambassador on the country!

Maura, Dubin, Ireland

Sad but true. Where's the sense of humour in Ireland if this causes such an uproar? The country IS too expensive, roads ARE clogged, health system IS in a shambles. Maybe 20% are not in the public service, but a hall of a lot of cash is wated on poiticians who are ignorant and corrupt. If I were a Greman company, why would I come o Ireland? It ain't cheap anymore!

Mike Murphy, Sligo

Mike Murphy, Sligo,

I must agree with some of the other comments. Many Irish would indeed agree with Dr. Pauls about the state of modern Ireland, but they would be 'diplomatic' enough not to say so in the wrong company. It is also true that German humour can be extremely dark and cynical, and that jokes shared between Germans are quite unlikely to make sense to the Irish who read them reproduced in newspapers.

One notable difference between the Germans and the Irish--The Germans are very self critical and don't mind poking fun at themselves, much less others. Irish especially seem to hate when outsiders criticise their lifestyle or culture. Essentially, if you criticise Germans, they might think about what you said before taking offense, whereas the Irish take offense before thinking about what you said. I know these are harsh stereotypes, but they are necessary to get the point across.

As Mr. Hughes said, 'Remember when in Ireland never tell Irish jokes'.

Herr von Rabenstein, Limerick, Ireland

Dan Quayle's alleged quote originated as a joke by Claudine Schneider. He may have said many stupid things, but this wasn't one. Look it up!

GT, Dublin, Ireland

One may wonder how a person who's never been employed in the private sector (unemployable?) [vide: Wikipedia page] can give advice to businessmen. Apparently he sees no irony about talking about the irrelevance of money, on the one hand, and him being a public servant paid for by the taxpayer, on the other. Much like university professors.

"Even sadder than Poland" hmmm... now here is a topic the German ambassador is, no doubt, expertly familiar with.

Cato, los angeles, CA

Much of what he said is true - the whole country is acting like trainee americans embracing wealth or the appearance of wealth with the glee of a 7 year old spending their communion money. All he has said is what many opposition political parties have been saying for years, interesting that a FG politician has reacted the way he has.

scarlet o'hara, dublin, ireland

A few off-the-cuff remarks do not merit this kind of official hysteria. Our government should show a bit of diplomatic common sense.

Billy O'Shea, Copenhagen, Denmark

Very, very embarrassing. I really hope that this incident will have consequences for the ambassador.

Thorbal, Hannover, Germany

How many of those 06 & O7 cars come from Germany?

Donal, Salford, UK

Surely "German Diplomacy" is as much of an oxymoron as "German Humour". Laughable!

Eamon O'Farrell, Coventry, UK

"He described the country’s health service as chaotic with hospital waiting lists which would not be tolerated elsewhere. "

True - and the Irish don't tolerate them either, yet for some reason the current health minister was voted in again in this year's election, despite her terrible record

"He also said that tourists from the United States had stopped visiting Ireland because they were sick of the incessant traffic jams. "

That would not surprise me at all.

Helen, Paris,

I am an Irishman but I also appreciate the German sense of humour. The German ambassador never intended to insult Ireland. The German sense of humour has quite a dark side, second only to the Danish sense of humour, and is never intended to be taken literally.

Unfortunately is has...

Remember when in Ireland never tell Irish jokes

shane hughes, longford, Ireland

its all true

keith, dublin, ireland

Readers may miss the allusion to Charles Haughey's description of an occasion in 1982 when a double-murderer was arrested at the home of his Attorney-General: "It was a bizarre happening, an unprecedented situation, a grotesque situation, an almost unbelievable mischance".

Arthur494, Guildford, Surrey

Irelan does have the worst health service in Europe.I would go so far to say that some third world countries have a better health service.
Everything else he has sad comes from his Germannes.

ISIRGAN, READING, uk

Every person has the right to voice their opinion. I believe that 95% of what the German Embassador said is true. If I stood up and said it Mr Gay Mitchell knows he could not censor me and get away with it but he thinks he can attack a diplomat. Mr. Mitchell - visit your local pub and find out what popular opinion thinks. I recommend the same to Germans who think ill of their Embassador. Come and listen to your "Irish friends". Our health system is in a shambles; our roads are clogged up; our history is sad; the church did try to dominate our lives; wage demands are high (especially those of politicians). The Irish people don't want it that way and I believe the majority would applaud Mr Pauls for lending us support.

B Lennon, Dublin, Ireland

Dr. Pauls was more or less correct about the culture of modern Ireland. 'Insult our Irish friends'--what a laugh! I bet if you offered the Irish enough cash, they would laugh too. If you haven't lived in Ireland, you just won't understand.

Herr von Rabenstein, Limerick, Ireland

I bet he is working for free!!

Angel Marin, Zaragoza, Spain

As a german I am ashamed that this pratt of a german ambassador should insult our irish friends.
Mrs. Merkel, our Chancellor, should sack him immediately.

W. Rauch, Bad Muender, Germany

One is reminded of Thomas Mann's immortal line: A German joke is no laughing matter.

Bernard Hassan, Albuquerque, New Mexico USA

Unfortunately the brilliant comment about Latin America is just E Pluribus Unum coming from Vice President Quayle.

Joe Murphy, Prairie View, IL, USA

What a babbler...
One would think that the diplomatic corps would be trained in, well, diplomacy, and knew not to crack dumb jokes at the expense of the host nation. After all, what're they being paid for?
From what I know, most of us have an unequivocally positive image of Ireland and the Irish.

Matt, Wuerzburg, Germany

I hope Mr Bagster reads this. Some of the comments were simply untrue, others had an element of truth in them and perhaps one or two were true. But it was irresponsible of an Embassador actually welcoming business people to Ireland to exaggerate. Another german recently was offensive, Cardinal Meisner, but Germany is a large country and it would be simplistic to attempt to stereotype.That would be being coarse.
Mr Bagster, might you also be resentive of our recent success and at the same time be gleefull of our current problems? Irish receptiveness lives on, Mr Bagster, and I don't believe an irish Embassador would ever behave in such a manner in any land.

Wayne White, Youghal, Ireland

Herr Pauls speaks only the truth, and as is well known, the truth hurts, which accounts for the response from 'official Ireland'. As any fool with eyes to see knows, the lately-enriched Irish are not only coarse but vulgar to boot; and whereas they may have been poor in the past, now they merely cheap - and show it.

William Bagster, DUBLIN, Ireland