Northern Ireland's First Minister Mr David Trimble was tonight standing firm on his comments that the Irish Republic was a "pathetic" and "sectarian" state despite widespread condemnation.
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Top level politicians on both sides of the border joined church leaders in demanding that the Ulster Unionist leader withdraw his attack on the State and apologise for his "deeply offensive" remarks.
But the Upper Bann MP accused the nationalist community of overreacting and taking out of context his claims that the Republic was a "pathetic, sectarian, mono-ethnic, mono-cultural state".
Speaking to reporters at Stormont Mr Trimble said: "The context is, and it's something I have said many times before, the contrast between a liberal, multi-national state such as the United Kingdom on one hand, and on the other hand a mono-cultural state which is not as liberal as the United Kingdom."
Mr Trimble defended himself shortly before heading to America where he is likely to run in to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, at the White House on Wednesday.
Despite the row, Mr Ahern said of Mr Trimble he would continue to do "all that I can to help him in his jurisdiction, trying to get to a situation where Christians of different faiths can live without the fear of being killed".
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He added: "If you look at his description of how he painted Northern Ireland, and painted the Republic of Ireland, I don't think any fair observer would identify either from his description."
Mr Trimble will be joined on the trip to Washington by Deputy First Minister and SDLP leader Mr Mark Durkan, who tonight accused Mr Trimble of being dangerously close to breaking the ministerial code of conduct.
The Foyle MLA did not call on Mr Trimble to withdraw the comment but said: "When people make remarks that are gratuitously offensive there is work that they have to do."
Earlier, a founder member of Mr Durkan's SDLP, and Stormont Agriculture Minister, Ms Brid Rodgers, demanded that Mr Trimble should apologise immediately and withdraw the remarks which he made at the annual meeting of his party on Saturday.
"He has insulted and deeply offended the nationalist community north and south of this island," she said.
And Sinn Féin chief negotiator, Mr Martin McGuinness, said Mr Trimble had not joined in the spirit of reconciliation needed to move the peace process forward.
"It's about time the Nobel Peace Prize winner stopped behaving like a twit and recognise that there is a peace process out there.
"We all have work at it. We all have roads to travel. All of us have some distance to go but some of us have further to go than others," the Stormont Education Minister said.
Meanwhile, Attorney General, Mr Michael McDowell accused Mr Trimble of hypocrisy, saying he was the leader of a party which treated Catholics as "second class citizens".
Mr McDowell, president of the Progressive Democrats, said: "You have to remember that the Ulster Unionist Council, which he was addressing at the time, is composed in part of members of the Orange Order.
"Roman Catholics - men and women - are excluded from participating in that.
"I would imagine that Mr Trimble should address the issue of the Orange Order block at his own Unionist Council because that is overtly sectarian in its effect that Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland are second class citizens within his own party."
The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Walton Empey, said: "I was taken aback by such intemperate words coming from a Nobel Peace Prize winner."
And Labour Party leader Ruairí Quinn said: "If these comments prove anything it is that all of us on this island need to try to get to know each other better."
Additional reporting PA
