Cork fishmonger will keep Irishness undercover with the Queen

The country’s best-known fishmonger is going undercover with a unique splash of Irishness for his tea date with the Queen later this month.

Cork’s Pat O’Connell will be wearing green boxer shorts emblazoned with a shamrock logo when he visits Buckingham Palace on March 25.

He will wear the jocks under a classic, tailored Irish suit thanks to one of the country’s oldest menswear firms, the 1860-established Fitzgerald Menswear on Cork’s St Patrick’s St, which came on board yesterday to give him a Buckingham Palace makeover.

“I hadn’t even thought about what I was going to wear,” Pat said.

“But I had six or seven offers of suits after news of the invite got out.

“I was delighted with the offer from Eddie Mullins of Fitzgerald Menswear.

“I wasn’t looking for a free suit, and said I would make a donation in lieu to Marymount Hospice, a place close to my heart.

“And when Eddie said he’d match the donation, that was that.”

The popular fishmonger who runs the family business in the English Market made headlines around the world when his ‘mother-in-law’ quip made the Queen laugh out loud during her visit to the market as part of her state visit to Ireland in 2011.

He is among several Irish people who have now been invited to attend a reception for the Irish community, hosted by the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, in advance of President Michael D Higgins’s groundbreaking three-day official state visit to the UK in April.

Mr Mullins said he considered dressing Pat in Ireland’s traditional dress, the kilt. “But we just don’t think he has the knees for it,” he joked.

He promised that his friend — best known for his trademark wellies and fishmonger’s apron — will cut a real dash. “We don’t want the suit to be too loud or tacky. We want the focus to be on Pat, and to let his own personality shine out on the day.”

Pat will be fitted next week for a luxury two-piece French navy pure wool suit by Magee. The fitted two-button double vent jacket will have a nice deep revere.

He will be supplied with a crisp, white, slim fitting double-cuff shirt from Italian shirt mill, Albini, with a cut-away collar, with talks about the colour of the silk tie still ongoing.

“We will keep it nice, plain and elegant. I’m still researching what’s considered acceptable attire for an event like this. I’m thinking maybe a soft blue or green,” Mr Mullins said.

Pat will swap his work wellies for a classic pair of hand-made lace-up black brógs made by Loake, and will be given a simple black belt with a plain nickle buckle. He is expected to chose his own cuff-links.

Waterford native, Emma Verling, a London-based environmental scientist, has also been invited to the reception.