Prince Charles is to visit the beauty spot in Ireland where the IRA murdered his great-uncle, Louis Mountbatten.
The prince and his wife Camilla will make the trip to Mullaghmore in Co Sligo during an official three-day visit to the Republic starting on 19 May.
Irish government officials confirmed that, as part of the prince’s itinerary, he will visit the coastal area where the IRA detonated a bomb aboard Lord Mountbatten’s boat in 1979.
As well as killing Mountbatten, the IRA also murdered one of his grandchildren, 14-year-old Nicholas Knatchbull, and 15-year-old local boy, Paul Maxwell, who worked on the boat.
One man, Thomas McMahon, was arrested and later convicted of his involvement in the murders. Six people on board the boat were seriously injured in the explosion.
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said that parts of the visit by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall may be subject to change. However, it is expected the royal couple will attend a religious service for peace and reconciliation at Saint Columba’s Church in Drumcliff, Co Sligo.
They will also attend events marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of Irish poet WB Yeats.
Their visit includes a trip to the Burren in Co Clare and a celebration at the National University of Ireland in Galway. They will then cross the border into Northern Ireland for a number of functions focusing on peace and reconciliation projects.
