Northern Ireland's chart-topping clerical singing sensation, The Priests, are to be honoured by Queen's University Belfast next week.

Fathers Eugene and Martin O'Hagan and Father David Delargy, whose singing voices have captivated audiences around the world, are this year's winners of the University's Graduate of the Year award.

All three priests serving in Co Antrim parishes graduated from Queen's, Father Eugene in 1982 and his brother and Father David three years later.

The trio have sold over two million albums worldwide. Their first album, recorded last year last year with the Philharmonic Academy of Rome at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, spent 13 weeks at number 1 and was the fastest selling debut classical album of all time.

Earlier this year they sang for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh and Irish President Mary McAleese at Hillsborough co Down and several weeks before they performed for The Prince of Wales at Duchess of Cornwall.

The Priests will be honoured next Thursday during a week of celebrations during which some 4,000 students will graduate.

Among leading figures also being honoured are Belfast actress Geraldine Hughes, star of Rocky Balboa, BBC Pakistan correspondent Orla Guerin, Northern Ireland's Paralympic world champion sprinter Jason Smyth and Nobel prize winning chemist Professor Gerhard Ertl.

Lord Kerr, until recently Northern Ireland Lord Chief Justice, Francis Campbell, from Newry, the first Catholic to become UK Ambassador to the Holy See and influential poetry critic, Queen's Professor Emerita Edna Longley, are also being honoured.

Honorary doctorates will also be conferred on cancer research adviser Dr Martin Murphy, Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of Almac Diagnostics; and distinguished chemists Professor Emerita Ruth Lynden-Bell and Professor Amos Smith.

Two business leaders feature on the roll of honour. Honorary doctorates will be conferred on Michael Ryan, Vice-President and General Manager of Bombardier Aerospace and Neville Isdell, Chairman of the Coca-Cola Company, who is from Northern Ireland.

The list includes a number of distinguished academics. Medieval historian Professor Emerita Dame Janet Nelson, anthropologist Professor Dame Marilyn Strathern and geoscientist Professor Emeritus Minze Stuiver will also receive honorary degrees.