THE PRESIDENT Mary McAleese will arrive in Liverpool today for a two-day visit during which she will attend events linked to city’s term as European Capital of Culture.
Mrs McAleese and her husband Dr Martin McAleese are due to attend a reception for members of the Irish community at St Michael’s Irish centre. They will then travel to Liverpool Town Hall where they will attend a civic reception hosted by the city’s lord mayor Steve Rotherham. In the evening, the President will attend a performance of Irish music and dance at St George’s Hall.
The event is intended to showcase Ireland’s contribution to Liverpool’s term as European Capital of Culture 2008. It will be followed by a reception hosted by Ireland’s Ambassador to Britain, David Cooney.
Tomorrow, Mrs McAleese will address an Enterprise Ireland business breakfast. She will then travel to the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace in nearby Warrington.
There she will meet the foundation’s co-founders Colin and Wendy Parry, whose 12-year-old son Tim was killed by an IRA bomb in the town in 1993.
Later that afternoon Mrs McAleese will address the Big Hope Global Youth Congress at Liverpool Hope University on “The road to peace – with a little help from our friends”.