And the center, today, is a place where the estimated 400, 000 Phoenix-area residents with Irish heritage can learn about their culture, including traditional foods, music and dance.

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David Stahan, the managing director of Phoenix Supply in Northern Ireland, said his owners had expressed a previous interest in Irish government assets and "remained interested".

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Irish President Mary McAleese welcomed the heir to the throne at her official residence in Dublin's Phoenix Park for lunch.

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