12.13.01 - Reuters

DUBLIN (Reuters) - U2 frontman Bono and Manchester United soccer club captain Roy Keane are among a gallery of Irish rock and sporting heroes set to appear on commemorative stamps next year, Ireland's Post Office said.

The first of the stamps, intended to celebrate the world impact of Irish musical and sporting talent, will go on sale in mid-2002, costing 38 euro cents.

The rock star line-up, due for release next October, will feature, along with Bono's U2, Belfast-born singer Van Morrison, guitar legend Rory Gallagher and Phil Lynott, lead singer with popular 1970s band Thin Lizzy.

Joining Keane in the soccer series, due for release ahead of the World Cup in June, are national team legends Paul McGrath, Dave O'Leary, and Packie Bonner.

A spokeswoman for the Post Office said on Wednesday that postal authorities were expecting an enthusiastic response to the issues.

"Irish stamps are hugely popular with collectors around the world because of the time and detail we put into them, and we expect -- given the themes -- big interest in these in particular," she told Reuters.

She added that the finer details were still being finalised and that changes to the line-ups could not yet be ruled out.

Another planned series commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Steeplechase, a sporting event first recorded in Ireland, will feature some of the country's best-known race-horses -- Arkle, Dawn Run, L'Escargot, and Istabraq.

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