RYAN Tubridy has criticised the action of anti-war protestors who threw eggs and shoes at former British prime minister Tony Blair as he arrived to sign copies of his new memoir in Eason bookseller, Dublin, yesterday.

The Late Late Show host, who had interviewed Blair just hours beforehand, said that despite understandable anger by anti-war protestors, debate should always take precedence over physical confrontation.

And he added that despite people's opinions of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Blair should be credited for his efforts closer to home.

"I would like to think that he is a man who has worked hard for peace in this country," Tubridy told the Sunday Tribune.

"I would like to think that when I was growing up in the 1980s and watching the death and mayhem, I would like to think that he played a part in fixing that.

"I don't think we should be quick to forget that."

In a wide-ranging interview, Tubridy asked the former New Labour leader about his family life and meetings with Sinn Féin as well as challenging him on the controversial decision to invade Iraq and his relationship with former US president George W Bush.

"I think it was a fantastic interview and I think the audience reaction was astounding. You had 200 people leaning forward for 40 minutes," he said.

"Tony Blair is probably one of the most natural performers in the modern age so I don't think he gets nervous at all."

Defending his decision not to concentrate more on the Iran question, he said: "You will always have your naysayers saying you should have done more of this or less of that.

"But he was suggesting that Iran needs to be treated the same way as Iraq – that we will go with sanctions and if that doesn't work, who knows?"