Please note, this is an archived story. Please check the date above.

The Irish President will launch the city's Irish Festival on Thursday, February 22 when she appears as guest speaker at the Irish World Heritage Centre in Cheetham.

Mrs McAleese is the latest in a long line of distinguished guests to launch the festival including former President Mary Robinson, former Northern Ireland Minister Mo Mowlam and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

Manchester holds the biggest Irish Festival in mainland Britain made up of more than 80 events including the popular St Patrick's Day Parade from Cheetham Hill to the city centre.

Earlier this month Paddy Murphy, a founder member of the Association of Irish Festival Events, which co-ordinates festivals in the island's 32 counties, visited Manchester to discuss forging new links with the city.

Paddy visited the World Heritage Centre and met Manchester's Irish Festival Committee chairman Pat Karney to discuss proposals to make the city the first outside the island to join the association.

Irish festivals or parades are held in London, Birmingham, Liverpool and other UK cities as well as Manchester alongside the world-famous New York parade. Until now, none has been invited to hold discussions on creating a link beyond the shores of the Emerald Isle.

Since returning to Ireland, Paddy has raised the proposal with the association's committee and the Manchester Irish Festival Committee is being asked to consider the plan.

The Association of Irish Festival Events includes activities celebrating Irish culture on both sides of the border in the spirit of Manchester's Irish Festival which aims to involve all communities.

Pat Karney said: "Our festival is open to everybody in the city. Manchester leads the country once again in staging the best Irish festival."