Mission gig renamed after embarrassing gaffe

The branding of Ronan Keating (pictured) and Sharon Corr as part of the 'UK invasion' for the Mission concert next year has upset the Irish community.

The Mission Estate Winery Concert will be renamed after "an embarrassing mistake", says the event director.

Irish musicians Ronan Keating and Sharon Corr were branded as Brits after being billed as part of The Mission's UK Invasion Concert in February, which upset Hawke's Bay's Irish community.

Joe Kelly, of Taradale, said it was a sensitive issue.

"Men lost their lives trying to be Irish and remove the yoke of British imperialism and now they are not recognised," he said.

Antoinette Earl, of Hastings, said it was "just cheap, slack marketing".

"It is not as if these people made their fortune in the UK - I would imagine they identify strongly as being Irish and I can't believe they have been given their permission to be identified as The UK Invasion - that's ludicrous," she said.

Sport and Entertainment's Mission Concert event director Gary Craft said it was an honest but embarrassing mistake by the organising committee, which regretted any offence the mistake had caused.

He said the mistake went through the production and publicity process without anyone flagging it.

"We are in the process of rectifying it - it will be called the British and Irish Invasion," he said.

The three UK musicians are Billy Ocean, Leo Sayer and Melanie C (Sporty Spice).

After centuries of uprisings Ireland signed a treaty with the UK when the Irish War for Independence ended with a truce in 1921. The treaty did not include six counties - today's Northern Ireland - which remain in the UK.

Ireland left the British Commonwealth in 1948 when it declared itself the Republic of Ireland. Ronan Keating and Sharon Corr were born in the republic, which recognises Northern Ireland people as its citizens.