One of the country's wealthiest businessmen has said that shopping in Northern Ireland is not unpatriotic and such claims are offensive and should be withdrawn.
Gerard O'Hare, owner of the Quays Shopping Centre in Newry, told RTÉ News he was bemused and disappointed by suggestions that people in the Republic should not shop in the North.
Several Government ministers and interest groups have urged shoppers not to cross the border in the run up to Christmas.
They claim that cross-border shopping will damage retailers here and deprive the Exchequer of badly-needed tax revenue.
Thousands of people from the Republic visit Mr O'Hare's centre each week.
He said talk of patriotic shopping was a far cry from Easter 1916 and that politicians and spokespeople who had made such comments should withdraw them.
Mr O'Hare is a member of InterTradeIreland - and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern sits on the advisory board of his property and development company.
Mr O'Hare said that the two economies on the island should work for each other.
He pointed out that the presence of multi-national companies in Dundalk helped create jobs in Newry while cheaper prices in Northern Ireland provided employment to thousands of people from the Republic.
