The row between Dr O'Nuallain and Dublin City University (DCU) has been ongoing since 2002. In May of that year, Dr O'Nuallain received a letter at his home dismissing him from his position as a lecturer in computer applications.

In 2003, a rights commissioner ruled that Dr O'Nuallain should be reinstated to a permanent position, with no financial loss. DCU is appealing this ruling and maintains it did not terminate the lecturer's employment and that he had "repudiated" his contract. But the former lecturer claims he did not resign and was constructively dismissed.

At a hearing of the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) this week, Dr O'Nuallain apologised for excessive language used in his internet blog in relation to Prof Ferdinand Von Prondzynski, president of DCU. In the blog, O'Nuallain had called on the Prof Von Prondzynski to reveal whether his father was a Nazi and had fought in World War II as a willing participant.

Previously, Prof Von Prondzynski had said his father had fought in World War II, as had many people of that age. He denied his father or any member of his family was a member of the Nazi party and said the comments were a step beyond acceptable boundaries.

"I apologise for a lot of the language used in the blog," Dr O'Nuallain said. "It was over the top. I apologise for the excessive language."

Dr O'Nuallain admitted he "didn't have a hope in hell" of getting a job in the US (where he went after leaving DCU). The fact that he did not have a base university in Ireland worked against him, he said. He also said he was a "good level" academic.

His partner, Melanie O'Reilly, said the loss of his job had been "devastating". Because he had been without a salary over a long period, they had not been able to plan a family, she said. (Source: Irish Independent)