New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, is to visit Ballymote, Co Sligo, today to unveil a monument to a regiment distinguished in the American civil war.
The Fighting 69th Regiment was led by Brigadier General Michael Corcoran, who was a native of Carrowkeel near Ballymote. It was the Confederate general Robert E. Lee who gave the regiment its colourful name.
During Mr Bloomberg's visit a protest vigil will be held in Ballymote by a Sligo anti-war group and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Joe Flanagan, a spokesman for the protesters, said yesterday that the great majority of people in Sligo and Ireland had made it clear they "very much oppose Israel's war against the Lebanese and Palestinian people".
He said this was in contrast to Mr Bloomberg's endorsement of the Bush administration's support of the Israeli regime.
Mr Bloomberg was due to unveil the monument last month but had to reschedule his visit because of power cuts in New York.
