Around 300 journalists are expected to attend a reception held by The Journalists’ Charity at the Embassy of Ireland in London later this year.

The event, which is held once every two years, has previously been held at Australia House, but the Ambassador of Ireland, Daithi O’Ceallaigh, offered to host this year’s event.

The Prime Minister and other Government ministers have also been regular guests at the event in recent years.

On November 14 the Ambassador of Ireland and The Journalists’ Charity chairman Nicholas Jones will welcome the young and old from the worlds of newspapers, television and radio to 17 Grosvenor Place.

Nicholas told HoldtheFrontPage: “Quite by chance our reception is taking place at an important moment in British and Irish politics.

“It is being held on the eve of the Queen’s Speech which will be Tony Blair’s last as Prime Minister and which will be the last time he puts his stamp on the Government’s legislative programme.

“The reception is also being held in the final run up to the all important Anglo-Irish deadline of November 24, the deadline agreed by the British and Irish governments for the political parties of Northern Ireland to agree to a power-sharing executive and the return of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

“We could hardly have chosen a more topical moment to be the guests of the Embassy of Ireland and we know we will receive the warmest welcome from the Ambassador of Ireland.

“The generosity of the Embassy of Ireland in hosting our reception will help enormously at a time when we are trying to raise the profile of The Journalists’ Charity and raise funds for the cost of rebuilding the charity’s care home at Dorking in Surrey.”

The reception will take place from 6pm until 8pm.

A limited number of tickets at £20 each are available from the Journalists’ Charity on 01306 887511 or email: [email protected]