The President, Mrs McAleese, will leave Ireland today for a 10-day visit to Australia, during which she will attend many St Patrick's Day events.
Mrs McAleese will arrive in Brisbane on Monday morning, and on Tuesday will be the guest of honour at a Queensland Irish Association reception, followed by a dinner hosted by the Premier of Queensland, Mr Peter Beattie
The next day, Mrs McAleese will receive an honorary doctor of laws from the University of Queensland.
There will be a number of engagements on Thursday, March 13th, including a breakfast hosted by Enterprise Ireland, a meeting with the Governor of New South Wales, Prof Marie Bashir, a Tourism Ireland lunch and an Irish community reception. She will also lay a wreath at the Hyde Park Barracks Famine memorial in Sydney.
On Friday, Mrs McAleese will meet Australian Special Olympics athletes, attend a lunch hosted by the Lansdowne Club, and in the evening will be guest of honour at a dinner hosted by the Ireland Fund of Australia.
Mrs McAleese will be the guest of honour at the Australian Irish Society St Patrick's Day ball on Saturday, March 15th, in Sydney.
Among events on Sunday will be Mass and a meeting with young members of the Irish community, then a civic reception hosted by Mr Frank Sartor, Lord Mayor of Sydney. At noon, Mrs McAleese will view the St Patrick's Day parade in Sydney, and attend an Irish community reception in Melbourne.
On Monday, March 17th, the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will host a breakfast. Mrs McAleese will then travel to Canberra where she will meet Dr Peter Hollingworth, the Governor-General of Australia . Later that day, the President will be a guest of honour at a St Patrick's Day reception
On Tuesday, Mrs McAleese will meet the Governor of Victoria, Mr John Landy. She will leave Australia that day and arrive home on Wednesday, March 19th.