A PROTEST is to be staged outside the offices of Channel 4 in London over plans to commission a sitcom based on the famine.

The broadcaster has already confirmed that it has received 890 "predominantly negative" responses from the public about the planned show.

Austin Harney said that a peaceful protest has been arranged for 1pm on January 17 at the channel's headquarters in central London, close to Westminster.

Channel 4 has stressed that it has not made any decision about whether to screen the production.

"The script is in the development process and is not currently planned to air," said a spokesman.

Over 36,000 people have now signed a petition online calling on the broadcaster to withdraw its plans for the sitcom, called Hungry, described by its Dublin based screenwriter Hugh Travers as akin to "Shameless in famine Ireland".

Despite the considerable online presence opposing the programme, Mr Harney, who was himself born in London but whose "whole family is Irish", said that he had organised the demonstration as "we need more actions than petitions".

Mr Harney, a trade union activist and campaigner on various matters concerning the Irish in Britain, said that there were "lines to be drawn when it comes to comedy and satire".

"This killed one million people, wiped out an entire Gaelic speaking community and caused mass emigration. We still have a lot of people jumping out of the fire and leaving Ireland for economic reasons and coming to Britain," he said.

"Many Irish people in Britain feel aggrieved about this. A painful reality about the Irish in Britain is that they are often left last.

"Unfortunately for too long there has been stereotyping of Irish people in Britain," added Mr Harney.

He said he would be inviting representatives of British and Irish political parties to speak at the demonstration, but said he could not predict the estimated number of protestors.

He said he hoped, however, that Channel 4 would reconsider its decision and pull the programme.

One Facebook user who signed the petition against the show wrote that he was opposed to the script as he felt it was not appropriate to "exploit the Irish race for the sake of comedy".

An opposing online petition, entitled 'Say No to Censorship of Channel 4 sitcom', has so far been backed by 100 supporters, with many others having their say on social media.

"We all know of some incredible comedies that have dealt with sensitive subject matters in a tasteful and funny manner," the petition states.

"Not sure what the problem is here? Dozens of sitcoms have been set in wartime, which is at least as tragic as famine.

"If people aren't happy about a sitcom set in famine times then just don't watch it," wrote another Facebook user.