In Dublin's fair city the girls may be pretty, but in Dublin Nights they are as likely to be drunk and vomiting in its streets, whether broad or narrow.

Few details have yet emerged about the eight-part series on Dublin's nightlife to be screened on Channel 4 later this year, but the mere fact that it comes from Planet Wild - the independent production company that brought us Ibiza Uncovered and Aya Napa Nights - was enough to put Dublin Tourism off co-operating with its makers.

Those series, which followed young British men and women on hedonistic holidays of sea, sun and behaving (really very) badly, showed us frenzied drinking competitions, contests to see who could sleep with the most people over a week and tales of bed, apartment and partner swapping.

Dublin Nights is said to focus on the stag- and hen-party carousers who arrive in their hundreds on inexpensive flights from Britain each weekend. Most of the programmes' attention will be given to their exploits, though minor celebrities are also to feature.

Cian Connaughton, policy spokesman with Dublin Chamber of Commerce, said he would not be "unduly worried" about the image Dublin Nights will portray to millions of British viewers weekly for eight weeks.

"It's not ideal, but it's not something we would get overly concerned about. Of far greater concern is the damage the foot-and-mouth crisis has done to tourism."

Some might argue that the young parties do bring thousands of pounds in revenue to the city's tourism industry each week and no doubt the series will do much to promote this end of the market. However, Mr Frank Magee, chief executive of Dublin Tourism, is less than delighted about such "free advertising". His office - which deals with 1,400 media inquiries a year - for the first time in its existence refused to co-operate with a television company when it was approached by Planet Wild.

Stressing that he had not yet seen the series, Mr Magee said he refused to cooperate with the producers because of what he knew of the previous series.

"I just don't believe that Dublin should be portrayed as another Ibiza Uncovered," he said. "I have no problem with portraying Dublin as a place where young people go out and have fun. We're very proud of the pub culture. It's an integral part of the experience in the home of Guinness, but there is more to a night out in Dublin than pubs. Dublin is now a sophisticated, cosmopolitan city. There are theatres, music venues, wonderful restaurants. The focus should not be on getting drunk and loutish behaviour."

Filming is said to be finished and the series is at the editing stage. One programme features a hen party from the north of England while another will treat viewers to a tour with Cold Feet star James Nesbitt around his favourite Dublin pubs.

Also featured will be gossip columnist with VIP magazine, Gavin Lambe-Murphy.

As well as facing non-co-operation from Dublin Tourism, the production company was refused entry to an about 100 pubs in the Temple Bar area. Though still regarded, and sought, as Dublin's "party centre" by crowds of young tourists, the area put down a marker three years ago when its pubs announced that they would not serve stag or hen parties, or condone disorderly behaviour on their premises. The move came after a report in November 1998 from Temple Bar Properties which concluded stag and hen parties accounted for less than 1 per cent of all tourism revenue in the city but irritated 13 per cent of all other visitors to the city to the extent that they would not return. The net loss in tourism revenue, caused by the stag- and hen-party sector, was estimated then at £57 million a year.

Planet Wild would not comment on concerns about the image Dublin Nights will portray of the former cultural capital of Europe, explaining that they had been instructed to direct all queries to the Channel 4 press office.

A spokeswoman for Channel 4 said it was "a bit early to be anxious" about the series.

"It is still some way off being finished but I can say it will give a rounded presentation of Dublin," she said.

No date has yet been set for the screening of Dublin Nights, though it is planned for transmission this year.