Regal Entertainment?

The Irish pop group, Westlife, and the X Factor star, Mary Byrne, are among the headline acts to be confirmed for the Queen's first official visit to the Irish Republic.

Two thousand guests have been invited to a special ceremony at the event on the 19th May.

HM Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, Julian King Esq CMG, is to host the so-called "return event" - an evening of fashion, music and theatre at the Dublin Convention Centre in the city's docklands.

"This is the first State Visit to Ireland, our closest neighbour,"  His Excellency said.

  "We wanted to mark this historic occasion, and to reflect the huge support and interest there has been in this visit."

His Excellency added:  "We have put together a programme that showcases the best of British and Irish fashion, and brings together on one stage some of the finest performers working in Ireland today.

It promises to be a memorable occasion, an opportunity to celebrate the Queen's visit, but also the love of music, the spoken word, fashion, and design that people from across our two countries share."

The Return Event is standard practice during a State tour when the visiting country arranges a special occasion for the host country. The event is expected to be shown live on the Irish state broadcaster, RTE.