UNIVERSITY College Dublin hosted Will Ferrell last month, and now Trinity College will confer an honor this week on another A-lister, Oscar winner Helen Mirren, originally British but maintaining a deep love for the Irish.

The college's Philosophical Society will make Helen an honorary patron, providing the star with a great excuse to head over for a quick break.

"One of my ex-boyfriends went to Trinity College, many, many moons ago," Mirren told the Irish Independent, "but now I can boast to him, 'I've been to Trinity College as well.'"

"I've had a long love for Dublin, and Dubliners, and the first film I did here was a film called Excalibur, and I later shot Cal, and Some Mother's Son, and, most recently, The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone.

"Also, I had a relationship with Irish actor, Liam Neeson, so, especially when I was going out with Liam, I would come to Dublin a lot."

Phew! Someone give the lady honorary Irish citizenship! "I'd love to have my DNA checked, because having an Irish passport would be lovely," she adds.