Queen throws reception for Irish at the palace

Queen Elizabeth is to host a reception in honour of Irish people in Buckingham Palace today, with hundreds of Irish representatives expected to attend.

The event, marking the contribution made by Irish people in Britain, is a warm-up for the state visit of President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina to Britain next month.

It will be the first state visit to the UK undertaken by a president of Ireland. Invitees will include figures from Britain's Irish community.

Others to attend include fish trader Pat O’Connell of Cork’s English Market, who said he “nearly collapsed” when he opened his invite.

The event comes less than three years after a visit to Ireland during which the queen and Prince Philip had visited the English Market. During that visit, O’Connell had cracked a joke about an ugly monkfish which he said was nicknamed “the mother-in-law fish”, which made the queen laugh.

The event will also mark the contribution of Irish citizens working within the UK government, and others expected include Dr Emma Verling, a native of Waterford who completed her BSc and PhD at UCC. She was nominated to attend by her employer, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), which advises the UK government on UK-wide and international nature conservation.