Ryan Tubridy yesterday vowed to quit his Twitter account for good after online criticism of his performance on the Late Late Show.

Reacting with hurt and dismay after his Friday night performance was slammed by followers of the popular social network, Tubridy tweeted at 11am yesterday that: "Twitter gets very unpleasant of a Friday night. But it's a beautiful day out there so, good morning".

His disillusioned tweet was quickly picked up on by former RTE presenter Pat O'Mahony who tweeted at Tubridy: "I've seen much of that #latelate stuff. But that happens everyone in the public eye. Not sure I'd be able for it. Tough call."

Tubridy responded to O'Mahony's observation with: "Interesting thought. I think my tweeting days are numbered. Fun but not always worth the grief, despite thick skin etc".

O'Mahony echoed what many of the country's Twitterati were saying when he told the broadcaster and author: "thing to remember when in the public eye is that not everyone will like you. Get over that you're halfway there."

O'Mahony, who now works for an independent production company, added: " You wonder how would Gaybo have dealt with Twitter back in the day. Can't imagine he's too unhappy it wasn't around then."

Tubridy chose not to respond directly and instead tweeted "Have a fine day. Talk to you soon." He then posted a photo of a seaside scene taken with his iPhone. He was unavailable for comment when contacted yesterday.

The criticism of Tubridy via the #LateLate section of Twitter was particularly vitriolic on Friday night with several comments complaining about his interview with Labour leader Eamon Gilmore and the presenter's family links to Fianna Fáil.

One contributor yesterday asked: "Can we vote Tubridy out as well?" while another claimed he had "set out to demolish Gilmore".

"It was FF getting the knife in. No hard interview for Cowen!" it continued.

Another poster said an advertisement "for Gay at the end [of the show] brought a tear to my eye, a tear for what was and is no longer."

"That was woegeous," stated a separate tweet, while another targeting Tubridy's personal twitter account – which has more than 18,000 followers – said: "You seem to be confusing the #latelate with Larry Gogan's 'Just a minute quiz'. No depth or detail in Gilmore interview."

Another tweeter said Friday's Late Late was a "new low" in the show's history.

But there was some support for Tubridy among his fellow tweeters yesterday, with one poster noting that they had seen some of the comments and they were a "bit out of order alright. No one will ever please everyone, my parents are fans".

"The #latelate comments are full of vitriol but if he/RTE was smart about it, they'd listen and change," another stated.

Leading psychologist Marie Murray noted that the speed with which technologies such as Twitter allow for feedback is a significant development.

"Nobody is invulnerable to criticism, to being hurt, no matter how professional, thick-skinned or prepared a person is for the natural normal range of opinions. So the time frame is very significant… To have feedback, particularly if it is negative, before you have even finished speaking nearly. It gives no space for perspective if you get immediate feedback of that kind."

Tubridy's threat to abandon the social network echoes a similar move by British comedian and author Stephen Fry who closed down his account in October last year after an online disagreement with another Twitter user, who labelled him "boring".

He tweeted: "Think I may have to give up on Twitter. Too much aggression and unkindness around."

Fry had 900,000 followers but performed a u-turn just days later and is now back tweeting as prolifically as ever.