The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will visit Northern Ireland and Ireland

Published 12 June 2018

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will visit Northern Ireland and Ireland

12th – 15th June 2018

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will visit Northern Ireland and Ireland from 12th – 15th June.

In Northern Ireland, Their Royal Highnesses will undertake a range of engagements, including visiting Omagh as part of commemorations on the twentieth anniversary of the Omagh bomb. The Prince’s programme will start on Tuesday in Belfast with a visit to the Carlisle Memorial Church where His Royal Highness will meet members of the local community; watch a performance by The Ulster Orchestra; and meet dancers from the nearby Indian Community Centre. The Prince will also visit Ulster University's Coleraine Campus to help celebrate its 50th anniversary.

On Wednesday, His Royal Highness will visit Omagh Hospital and will then be joined by Her Royal Highness for a visit to the Gortin area, before visiting the town of Omagh to meet those affected by the bomb, members of the emergency services and residents of the town.

Made at the request of the British Government, Their Royal Highnesses' visit to Ireland will highlight the essential partnership and friendship between the two Nations, as well as the deep connections between their people. This is the fourth visit Their Royal Highnesses have made to Ireland in as many years, and offers a further opportunity to celebrate the enduring nature of the relationship.

Their Royal Highnesses will begin the two-day visit to Ireland in Cork where they will be greeted with a civic reception at City Hall, hosted by the Lord Mayor. The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will jointly visit the English Market in Cork City, which was previously visited by Her Majesty The Queen in 2011. The Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Coveney will accompany Their Royal Highnesses in Cork and join them for a dinner to celebrate connections between the UK and Ireland.

On Thursday, The Prince of Wales will also visit University College Cork, where His Royal Highness will meet students and faculty and view cultural and historic treasures from the University's collection. The Prince will later visit the National Maritime College of Ireland and go on board an Irish Navy Service vessel to showcase the close maritime links between the two nations and to celebrate the flourishing strategic defence relationship. The Duchess of Cornwall will visit a local refuge, which serves women and children who have suffered domestic violence, a cause that

Her Royal Highness has worked to highlight in the UK and overseas. The Duchess will also visit the Irish National Guide Dogs Training Centre.

On Friday, Their Royal Highnesses will travel to County Kerry to visit Derrynane House, the ancestral home of 19th century Irish Statesman Daniel O'Connell; and watch a performance at Siamse Tire Irish National Folk Theatre. Later, The Prince and The Duchess will attend a garden party at Killarney House where Their Royal Highnesses will be presented with the Order of Innisfallen, which recognises outstanding contributions to the local economy by people from outside Kerry.

Click here to read a speech given by The Prince of Wales at the Seamus Heaney Home Place in Bellaghy in Northern Ireland last year.

Notes for Editors

In May last year, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited Northern Ireland and Ireland, including Bellaghy, Belfast, Dublin and Kilkenny.

In September 2017, Their Royal Highness welcomed Irish President, Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina Higgins, to Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland to celebrate the tenth anniversary of The Prince of Wales saving the estate. This followed President Higgins' state visit to the UK in 2014 during which time Mr. Higgins and his wife were hosted by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.

Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh made a State Visit to Ireland from 17th-20th May 2011, at the invitation of the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese.

The Prince has officially visited Ireland five times before. Their Royal Highnesses have previously visited together in May 2015, May 2016 and May 2017.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall most recently visited Northern Ireland in May last year.

His Royal Highness previously visited Omagh in 1998, directly following the bomb.