Niall and Ailish meet Queen Elizabeth

 Mullingar's Niall Horan and Ailish Tynan were among the 300 members of the Irish community in the UK invited to Buckingham Palace last night for a reception with Queen Elizabeth.

The singers joined other stars from the world of entertainment such as Louis Walsh, Father Ted creator Graham Linehan and Imelda May, as well as community, sporting and business figures for the event.

While they may be members of Westmeath's musical royalty, both Niall and Eilish appear to have been delighted to have been invited, with the 1D singer describing the palace as "mind blowing".

"It's an absolute honour to be here with two great countries coming together. I couldn't believe it when I got the invitation. To have met Her Majesty again was a great experience," he said.

Acclaimed soprana Tynan, who earlier this month was honoured with an Address of Civic Recognition from Mullingar Town Council tweeted that she had "an unforgettable night at Buckingham Palace".

"Meeting the Queen was more nerve wracking than a prom," she said.