Queen Elizabeth II state visit to the Republic of Ireland.

British Queen visits Garden of Remembrance

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has finished the last of her public engagements on the first day of her State Visit to the Republic of Ireland.

President Mary McAleese and Queen Elizabeth laid wreaths at the Garden of Remembrance this afternoon.

The wreath-laying ceremony at the garden, which commemorates those who died in pursuit of Irish freedom, was followed by one minute of silence.

They were greeted there by Minister for Defence Alan Shatter and the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Sean McCann.

The Queen then made the short journey to Trinity College, where she viewed the Book of Kells and met students and staff.

The visit to the college was her last public engagement of the day and she has returned for a private evening at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park.

Earlier, the plane carrying Queen Elizabeth and her husband, The Duke of Edinburgh, touched down at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel at 11.57am.

The visitors were welcomed by Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore, the Irish Ambassador to Britain Bobby McDonagh, the Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Dave Ashe and the GOC of the Air Corps Brig General Paul Fry.

The visitors walked along a red carpet and through a guard of honour of 30 Air Corps personnel.

Queen Elizabeth was presented with flowers by eight-year-old Rachel Fox from Shankill in Dublin.

The Queen then travelled to Áras an Uachtaráin for a ceremonial welcome. She planted a tree to mark her visit and had lunch with President Mary McAleese.

Security and traffic arrangements

A huge security operation is in place in Dublin and a number of roads around the capital were closed for several hours today.

O'Connell Street and the North and South Quays have reopened to traffic having been closed for much of the day.

Seven people were arrested following violent disturbances at the top of Parnell Street during the Queen's visit to the Garden of Remembrance.

The trouble began at around 1.45pm when demonstrators at the top of North Frederick Street began throwing missiles at unarmed uniformed gardai manning the barricades.

The public order unit was deployed and the demonstrators were moved back up Dorset Street and Blessington Street and onto the surrounding areas.

Bottles, rocks, fireworks and other missiles were thrown at gardaí, although there are no reports of any injuries.

Bins were overturned and refuse bags were set on fire as gardaí moved in and arrested individuals for public order offences.

Officers say that many of the troublemakers are known to then. The disburbances continued for three hours this afternoon

Gardai are continuing to force the remaining demonstrators down Dorset Street to disperse them and further arrests are expected.

Luas services return to normal

All services on the Luas Red Line have returned to normal after a security alert in Dublin, while there was also a security alert in Maynooth overnight after a viable explosive device was found.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said those opposed to the visit were entitled to protest, but added that he hoped they would not embarrass the country.

Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen said the visit marked the relationship of understanding and respect between both countries.

Dublin Bus services will operate as normal during the State visit.

But the company says that, due to traffic restrictions, there will be diversions and possible delays to some services in the city centre area from today until Friday.

Iarnród Éireann has also advised passengers that there could be some delays but expects these to be minimal.

Click here for AA's traffic updates

King George V, Queen Elizabeth's grandfather, was the last British monarch to visit Dublin in 1911.

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I'm not one for flowery prose to be honest so I leave that to Banquo but it is an historic day for my country and all I will say is tis an awful pity we all had to wait so long for this day.

The Pope goes to Britain then the Queen goes to Ireland - the whole world's gone mad!

Although its worth remembering that neither of these figures were deemed able to visit the northern part of the island. Times have changed but not for everyone.

I suppose the Grangerfords and the Shepardsons up north are just not ready yet.

Uh... could you enlighten someone young enough to not remember the whole Irish-British terrorist/freedomfighter era. I'm guessing the significance is that it has been a long time since Britain's monarch has gone to ireland?

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Originally Posted by Greyblades

Uh... could you enlighten someone young enough to not remember the whole Irish-British terrorist/freedomfighter era. I'm guessing the significance is that it has been a long time since Britain's monarch has gone to ireland?

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It's 100 years since we had a visit south of the border.

The significance comes from the fact the Queen laid a wreath in the Garden of Remembrance a place which only commemorates Irish freedom fighters who fought against the very crown she wears. All heads of state have laid a wreath there but for the British crown to do so is indeed a moment I shall remember a long time.

...Why would the queen commemorate those who bombed her own people?

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Originally Posted by Greyblades

Uh... could you enlighten someone young enough to not remember the whole Irish-British terrorist/freedomfighter era. I'm guessing the significance is that it has been a long time since Britain's monarch has gone to ireland?

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I don't think that's going to be in the living memory of anyone here, at least if you're talking about events in the modern day RoI.

lol, reminds me of the token class Marxist from one of my courses that tried to argue of the horrors of the Black and Tans during the Troubles. :laugh4:

Symbolism is important. I hate that it is, and I even dislike it in myself when I notice it in myself. But it is so. Perhaps we simply need rituals, acts of closure, public gestures.

Mitterand and Kohl hand in hand at Verdun. Brandt kneeling in Warsaw. And the Queen's wreath in Dublin.


Is it felt there is a connection to Cameron's 'no if's and but's' apology over Bloody Sunday?

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Originally Posted by Greyblades

...Why would the queen commemorate those who bombed her own people?

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Irish freedom as in these one below it does not comemerate the The Troubles in the north
Irish War of Independence
Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1803
1916 the Easter Rising

Etc etc

The question anyway is not why would she but why would she not ask yourself if when the Queen lays a wreath in Washington or Arc de Triomphe if it commemorates anything anti British, has the Queen laid any wreaths in Germany I bet she has???

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Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat

Symbolism is important. I hate that it is, and I even dislike it in myself when I notice it in myself. But it is so. Perhaps we simply need rituals, acts of closure, public gestures.

Mitterand and Kohl hand in hand at Verdun. Brandt kneeling in Warsaw. And the Queen's wreath in Dublin.


Is it felt there is a connection to Cameron's 'no if's and but's' apology over Bloody Sunday?

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Well Cameron certainly made it easier with his statement lets put it that way, it was a sore that was always going to fester but now it is over for the majority and that is a good thing.

To be perfectly honest this has been slowly building for years and really shows how far the Republic and Britain have come especially since Mary McAleese became President.

Remember that the Queens relative Mountbatten was blown up by the IRA in County Sligo and that Mary McAleese was basically made homeless after a loyalist mob kicked them out of there own house, it is important what happened today

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Originally Posted by gaelic cowboy

Irish freedom as in these one below it does not comemerate the The Troubles in the north
Irish War of Independence
Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1803
1916 the Easter Rising

Etc etc

The question anyway is not why would she but why would she not ask yourself if when the Queen lays a wreath in Washington or Arc de Triomphe if it commemorates anything anti British, has the Queen laid any wreaths in Germany I bet she has???

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I think you misunderstood me, from my point of view it sounded like, say, Irelands head of state laying a wreath at the "those stupid English morons who persecuted the irish in Northern Ireland for being catholic" memorial.

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Originally Posted by Greyblades

I think you misunderstood me, from my point of view it sounded like, say, Irelands head of state laying a wreath at the "those stupid English morons who persecuted the irish in Northern Ireland for being catholic" memorial.

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Well you don't have to worry about that cos it's not for that at all at all.

Garden of Remembrance

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Originally Posted by Rhyfelwr

lol, reminds me of the token class Marxist from one of my courses that tried to argue of the horrors of the Black and Tans during the Troubles. :laugh4:

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It's still a legitimate criticism of Churchill, if not something that should be invoked today.

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Originally Posted by Subotan

It's still a legitimate criticism of Churchill, if not something that should be invoked today.

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Fair point I would have to say, however the visit by the Queen is pretty much a diplomatic triumph for the British, the UK's stock has never been higher.

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Originally Posted by gaelic cowboy

Fair point I would have to say, however the visit by the Queen is pretty much a diplomatic triumph for the British, the UK's stock has never been higher.

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If thats true through the general population, I for one, am delighted. Brilliant. Never met an Irishman in a pub who didn't offer to buy me a drink.

We have more in common than we don't.

Unlike the French. :wry:

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Originally Posted by InsaneApache

Unlike the French. :wry:

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Strauss-Kahn while fleeing for an airplane made a pass at a stewardess. The sperm on the maid's dress hadn't dried up yet.

Sixty percent of Frenchmen believe he is not guilty.

There is much criticism over the American legal system not protecting the anonimity of the suspect. The French political class is running around demanding support throughout Europe for another French politician, Lagarde, to take his position as head of the IMF.


I don't see whatever gives you the idea that you are from Mars and France is from Clinicallicus Insanicum.

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Originally Posted by InsaneApache

If thats true through the general population, I for one, am delighted. Brilliant. Never met an Irishman in a pub who didn't offer to buy me a drink.

We have more in common than we don't.

Unlike the French. :wry:

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Well she got a standing ovation in Dublin at the concert hosted by the President in honour of the visit and by all accounts she was well met in Cork too.
(course it helps that she is mad into horse racing it's a leg up in any conversation here)



video of Queens speech in Dublin castle

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKz-6vn_i00

I am offended that Obama gets a performance from Jedward and the Queen doesn't.

That clip shows why we should remain a constitutional monarchy. More than class. Wisdom.

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Originally Posted by Rhyfelwr

I am offended that Obama gets a performance from Jedward and the Queen doesn't.

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We held them back cos she didn't let poor Philip'een swally his pint when they visited the guinness brewery, poor fella what harm if twas only 10:50 in the morning.


Dignitaries at Guinness hold their breath as prince meets the porter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXouSYabDig

If you come back to Ireland they move in next door. Ok?

Actually it's obvious O'Bama wanted to see how effective they would be to use for some superblack psy-ops in gitmo

Yes, I could see the torture potential.

Almost at level V which is at Manny Barrilow level. The one used just for thr French.