Presidential candidate Peter Casey faces Traveller protests

Peter Casey faced the protests when visiting a housing estate for the Traveller community on Thursday

An Irish presidential candidate has faced protestors after he refused to withdraw controversial remarks he made about Travellers.

Peter Casey visited a new housing estate for the Traveller community in County Tipperary on Thursday.

Some families are refusing to move into homes there after a dispute with the council, which Mr Casey claimed was due to them demanding stables for horses.

The other candidates criticised his remarks.

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More than a dozen people protested during Mr Casey's visit.

Mr Casey said the families' refusal to move in sent out the wrong message when there was so much homelessness in Dublin.

The Londonderry-born independent candidate also previously said that Travellers should not be considered an ethnic group.

The five other presidential candidates have criticised Mr Casey, with President Michael D Higgins describing the remarks as "appalling".

Michael D Higgins said Mr Casey's comments were "appalling"

The president said: "The average lifespan of a Traveller is 10 years less than average.

"I have spoken to young male Travellers whose suicide rate is six times that of the average population."

Mr Casey, who is on 2% in the latest opinion poll, said Travellers should not be encourage to be different but to be part of an inclusive "melting pot" Irish society.

Traveller campaigning organisation have described his remarks as "border-line racist."

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Until Mr Casey made the controversial remarks many commentators regarded the 2018 presidential campaign as dull.

The only other news-worthy remarks were made by the Sinn Féin candidate Liadh Ni Riada who said she would be prepared to wear a poppy on Armistice Day as a gesture towards unionists.

Armistice Day, 11 November, is also the day the new president is scheduled to be inaugurated.

Acknowledging that it would be controversial for many in Sinn Féin and personally difficult, she said that if the late Martin McGuinness could meet and shake hands with the Queen then she could wear a poppy.

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Polling in the Presidential election will take place on Friday, 26 October, with counting and the result due the following day.

The six candidates are President Michael D Higgins; Sinn Féin's Liadh Ní Riada, Senator Joan Freeman and three independents and former dragons in the Irish version of the the TV programme, Dragons' Den.

They are Seán Gallagher, who was runner-up seven years ago, Peter Casey and Gavin Duffy.

The latest opinion poll suggests the President Higgins on 66% has a very comfortable lead and barring unforeseen development will win on the first count.