McAleese begins US visit

President McAleese leaves Dublin today for a five-day visit to the US, where she will lay a wreath at Ground Zero in New York.

President McAleese will be on the reviewing stand for the two minutes' silence during Saturday's St Patrick's Day parade to honour the victims of the World Trade Centre attacks.

Her presence is intended to communicate Ireland's sorrow for the families of the many Irish American firefighters and police officers who were killed in the Twin Towers attacks.

She will lay a wreath tomorrow at Ground Zero and attend mass at St Patrick's cathedral on Saturday.

President McAleese will then take her place on the reviewing stand when the parade stops on its way through Manhattan and - for the first time - turns south towards where the World Trade towers once stood for a two-minute silence.

She will also have private meetings with some of the bereaved families. The President will also attend functions to boost tourism to Ireland and business investment in New York and Connecticut.