An Irish student who offered to ‘have a pint with anyone’ over Christmas has been inundated with offers – as his joke backfired.

Known only as Student Shane, the Meath man took out an advert on the website donedeal.ie offering an evening’s worth of drink and company.

The Irish Independent reports that the student has received plenty of texts and phone calls since placing the ad ‘as a joke.’

He told the paper: “‘I put it up on my facebook page as a joke, thinking only my friends would see it. I didn’t realise it was going to take off the way it did.”

Shane added that he took out the advert to see what his friends were up to last weekend.

He wrote in the ad: ‘‘Shane will regale you with anecdotes from his colorful life in Navan town while taking an active interest in any tales you might care to tell.”

He added: “I am in good condition for my age but not mint.”

One offer came from a man who had just moved into the Meath town and was anxious to make new friends. Shane laughed: “I’m not into meeting up with strangers over the internet.”

Respondents may be let down by the student, who said he is busy until Christmas and wouldn’t be taking up any more offers. He joked: “It was just a bit of craic.”