Clarence House has confirmed that Britain's Prince Charlies and Camilla The Duchess of Cornwall will visit Ireland next month.

It will take in events in both the Republic and the North, from May 19th to 22nd.

It comes 20 years after the heir to the British throne first came to the Republic in May 1995.

He and his wife are to spend some time in the west of the country.

Their itinerary is still a work in progress - but there is speculation that it could include a visit to Mullaghmore, where Charles' great-uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten was killed in an IRA bombing in 1979.

This will mark the couple's first official joint visit to Ireland.

The news comes just over a year since President Michael D Higgins visited Queen Elizabeth II in the UK.

President Higgins and his wife Sabina were guests of Queen Elizabeth II for four days, where they also met with Prince Charles and Camilla.

The Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan has welcomed the Royal visit, saying: "Following the reciprocal State Visits of recent years, this visit to Ireland will represent a further expression of the warm and friendly relations which now exist between us."

"We look forward to their arrival next month, and to a visit programme which reflects the quality of these relations," he added.

While Tourism Minister Paschal Donohoe says he believes the visit will allow Ireland to be showcased once again on the world stage.