MEL Gibson, beware of The Passion of the Irish Jewish Community. The star, who launched a notorious drunken tirade against Jews while being hauled off to the slam for drunk driving a couple of summers ago in LA, is due in Dublin this weekend to accept the Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema Award at the Irish Film and Television Awards, but a rabbi in Ireland is furious that Mad Mel should be placed on such a pedestal. "We find it very puzzling.

He has made blatant anti-Semitic remarks and you'd think they'd give him a miss this year. It is quite surprising," the rabbi, who for some reason wished to keep his identity a secret, told the Irish Independent.

"An Irish organization is giving this award? Obviously they need to educate themselves about what he said. I think they should reconsider their decision. This is someone who is obviously a very famous figure, making very public remarks involving racism. They shouldn't be receiving public accolades and awards."

Once he sobered up Gibson tried his hand at damage control in a series of rather lame interviews, but obviously the wounds among the worldwide Jewish community run deep. And no wonder, given that on the night in question Gibson roared at a police officer, "F*** Jews . . . Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."

Nonetheless, the show will go on. Gibson undoubtedly has fond memories of Ireland. He filmed his multiple Oscar winning Braveheart there, and his mother, Anne Patricia Reilly, was born in Co. Longford. The great grandfather on his dad's side was Patrick Mylott, who moved from Ireland to Australia in the late 1800s to flee the Famine.

Mel, in fact, was named after the Church of St. Mel in Longford, while his middle name, Colmcille, is that of the Irish diocese where his mother was born. The late Mrs. Gibson obviously took her faith seriously - a trait passed on, and then some, to her ultra-religious conservative son Mel, whose seminal film The Passion of the Christ made hundreds of millions around the world when it was released in 2004.

According to a release from the organizers of the Irish awards, when the Gibson clan immigrated from the U.S. to Australia when Mel was 12, they stopped off in Ireland en route for a visit.

"The academy holds Mr. Gibson's film achievements in the highest regard. His drive, vision and determination have inspired so many young Irish filmmakers over the past three decades who have followed his creative journey in filmmaking, both in front of and behind the camera, moreover since he filmed the epic Braveheart here," said Aine Moriarty, CEO of the Irish Film and Television Academy.

This Sunday's ceremony will also feature a number of other stars, including Gibson's pal and frequent co-star Rene Russo, Colin Farrell, Kevin Dillon of Entourage fame and many others. Stuart Townsend and Charlize Theron are in town at the same time to promote their film Battle in Seattle, so it wouldn't be surprising to see them walk the red carpet outside the Gaiety Theatre.

Then there's local hero Daniel Day Lewis, who's cleaning up this awards season with his starring role in There Will Be Blood. It's a good bet, we'd day, that DDL will make the trip to the event from his nearby home in Co. Wicklow.