Queen Elizabeth II of theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and her husbandPrince Philip made astate visit toIreland from 17 to 20 May 2011, at the invitation of thepresident of Ireland,Mary McAleese. It was the first visit by a reigningBritish monarch to the area that is now the Republic of Ireland since the 1911 tour by Elizabeth's grandfatherKing George V, when the entire island ofIreland was still part of theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
The intervening period saw the 1916proclamation of the Irish Republic during theEaster Rising againstBritish rule in Ireland. A military conflict from January 1919 led ultimately to thepartition of Ireland on 3 May 1921.Northern Ireland remained part of theUnited Kingdom, while theIrish Free State became a self-governing and then fully independentDominion within theBritish Empire. In 1936 the Irish Free State removed all reference to the British monarchy from its Constitution – whilst retaining an ‘external association’ with the British crown – and the Commonwealth determined to continue to treat it as a member of the Commonwealth. In 1937 the Irish Free State adopted a republican constitution and renamed itself Ireland. In 1949 Ireland ended its practice of associating itself with the countries comprising the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth decided to regard it as no longer being a Commonwealth member.
The visit was seen as a symbolic normalisation ofRepublic of Ireland–United Kingdom relations following the signing of the 1998Good Friday Agreement, which settled most outstanding territorial disputes between the states, including the abandonment by the Republic of its territorial claim to Northern Ireland, thereby removing a major obstacle to a royal visit.[1] Arrangements for the visit included the largest security operation in the history of the Republic of Ireland.[2] During the visit, the Queen visited sites of significance forIrish nationalism in Dublin, such as theGarden of Remembrance andCroke Park, scene of the 1920Bloody Sunday massacre.[3] She also delivered a widely praised speech on the history of relations between the two countries.[4] The visit was criticised byIrish republican andsocialist groups.Sinn Féin,Éirígí, theUnited Left Alliance, someindependentTDs and several smaller republican and socialist groups were opposed to the visit, with protests organised at locations on the Queen's itinerary.
While the visit was notable for being the first by the Queen to the Republic, she had visited the island ofIreland on many occasions during her reign; however, her visits were always confined toNorthern Ireland. She had also been personally visited inLondon by PresidentMary Robinson in May 1993 and then several times by President McAleese since 1997. In April 2014, PresidentMichael D. Higginsreciprocated the Queen's visit when he became the first Irish president to make a state visit to the United Kingdom.
The Queen's visit was formally announced byBuckingham Palace andÁras an Uachtaráin simultaneously on 4 March 2011. The Queen's announcement stated:
The Queen has been pleased to accept an invitation from the President of Ireland to pay a State Visit to Ireland this year. The Queen will be accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh.[5]
The announcement was widely expected as both governments had anticipated the visit publicly for some time. TheBritish ambassador to Ireland, David Reddaway, had described the visit as "imminent" in 2009.[6]
Queen Elizabeth II's visit came one hundred years after the last visit by a British monarch, when her grandfather,King George V, visited Kingstown (nowDún Laoghaire), Dublin,Leopardstown, andMaynooth on 8–12 July 1911, as part of his accession tour.[7][8][9][10]
The visit drew comparisons to the visit ofPrince Philip's uncleLord Mountbatten in 1979, when he was killed by aProvisional IRA bombing.Sligo Mayor Matt Lyons said that the local tourist industry was still recovering from the bombing: "Mullaghmore attracted a lot ofEnglish people prior to Lord Mountbatten's murder. It took years and years for that to recover and it hasn't really recovered."[11][12]
The Queen's eldest son,Charles, Prince of Wales, attended a dinner atDublin Castle withTaoiseachJohn Bruton in 1995.Anne, Princess Royal, andPrince Andrew, Duke of York, also visited the republic between 1995 and 2010.[13][14] On 19 March 2004 Prince Charles made a private visit toLismore Castle in County Waterford, for the 60th birthday ofLord Hartington.[15]
The Princess Royal has made several visits to theRepublic of Ireland. On one visit on 17 February 2004, she met President Mary McAleese atÁras an Uachtaráin, then went to theArmy Equitation School at McKee Barracks, and an award presentation at the Old Jameson Distillery inSmithfield, Dublin.[16]
On 22 September 2001,the Duke of York attended a ceremony atKinsale inCounty Cork to celebrate the 400th anniversary of theBattle of Kinsale.[17] On 5 February 2007, the Duke visited Dublin to promote trade links, meeting President Mary McAleese andTaoiseach Bertie Ahern. He met John Hurley, the Governor of theCentral Bank of Ireland, visited wind farm companyAirtricity, and attended a dinner hosted byDavid Reddaway, the British ambassador.[18]
In January 1996, just before one of his sister's visits,Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, visited Dublin to present theGaisce Gold Awards.[19] On 27 August 1999, Prince Edward visited Dublin Castle with his wifeSophie, Countess of Wessex, for the world conference of theInternational Award Association, and met President McAleese.
When the Queen metPresident Mary Robinson in 1993, this was the first meeting between an Irish head of state and a British sovereign.[13] The Duke of Edinburgh visited Dublin on 10 November 1998, his first visit to the Republic of Ireland. He arrived by RAF helicopter atÁras an Uachtaráin, and launched the Millennium Gold Encounter for Ireland'sGaisce – The President's Award.[20] Prince Philip also visited Dublin on 26 April 2006, again for the Gaisce Awards and met Bertie Ahern.[21][22]
TaoiseachEnda Kenny linked the visit to theGood Friday Agreement being put into full effect.[23] The Queen was welcomed by Irish PresidentMary McAleese.[24] TheFirst Minister of Northern Ireland andDemocratic Unionist Party leaderPeter Robinson said the visit was "a sign of the normalisation of relations between our two countries", while the leader ofSinn Féin,Gerry Adams, said he did not "think this is the right time for the English Queen" to visit.[25] He further described the timing of the visit, which was to occur on the anniversary of theDublin and Monaghan bombings as "particularly insensitive".[26] McAleese said it was "absolutely the right moment", and described the visit as "an extraordinary moment in Irish history".[27] An opinion poll conducted shortly before the visit showed that it had the support of 77% of the Irish people.[28][better source needed] Adams later expressed a more conciliatory tone toward the visit: "I want to see a real and meaningfully new and better relationship between the peoples of Ireland and Britain.... The visit by the Queen of England provides a unique opportunity for the British establishment to make it clear that this is its intention also."[29]Martin McGuinness, the Sinn Féin deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, declined invitations to attend ceremonies at the Garden of Remembrance and the National War Memorial Gardens at Islandbridge, saying the royal visit was "premature".[30][31]
However, the cost of the visit was a cause for concern for some.Socialist PartyTDJoe Higgins asked inDáil Éireann if "the Queen of England might be politely asked to contribute to the cost of her bed & breakfast during her visit to Ireland," observing that "the Irish people needed the financial help since they could soon be – metaphorically speaking –sleeping rough, as the country facedbankruptcy to pay off the debts ofGerman andFrench banks which had recklessly gambled and lost in theIrish property bubble".[32] According toRichard Boyd Barrett TD, the total cost of the visit was approximately €30 million (US$42 million, GB £26 million).[24]
BritishPrime MinisterDavid Cameron described the visit as "a huge step forward" for diplomatic relations between the two countries,[33] while former prime ministerSir John Major also rejected Gerry Adams's criticism that the visit was premature, saying that the visit put "a seal on the past and builds for the future", and that there had not been "anything of equivalent significance in the last few decades".[34]
The Queen's visit led to a number of threats of violence being issued. TheGardaí borrowed twowater cannons from thePolice Service of Northern Ireland to deal with any potential instances of public disorder.[citation needed] According toScotland Yard, dissident Irish republicans issued a bomb threat regardingLondon on the eve of the visit.[27] It was the first coded warning issued outside Northern Ireland in a decade, and the threat was made from an Irish telephone number. However, the threat did not change the Irish terrorism threat level in Britain, which remained at "substantial".[35] There was also a terror alert in Dublin on the eve of the visit. Apipe bomb was found on a Dublin-bound bus in Maynooth, County Kildare and made safe after a warning call was made to the Gardaí. A second suspect package was found in Dublin on the first day of the visit, but was declared a hoax after being examined.[36] On 17 May, bomb scares were reported in the Dublin suburbs ofInchicore andFairview.
Former Garda CommissionerMartin Callinan revealed in April 2014 that members of theIrish Republican Army had intended to kill the Queen, and arrests were made. An explosive device was found inDorset Street, close to the Garden of Remembrance. Even during the Queen's flight from London, doubts arose about whether it was safe for her to land in Ireland, and British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron held an urgent meeting in the situation room inDowning Street in response, while she was airborne.[37]
The visit was covered extensively byRaidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) andTV3. RTÉ broadcast the events on television, radio and theinternet.The Queen and Us, a specialdocumentary byTommie Gorman, was broadcast on the night of 17 May at the end of the first day of the visit.[38]
The visit was marked with the broadcast of several documentaries, including:
TheBBC,Sky News,CNN,France 24,Xinhua News Agency andITAR-TASS were among the foreign media to cover events.[40] Nearly 12,000 newspaper articles were produced and nearly 1,400 news clips were shown on television internationally.[41]
RTÉ One broadcast a special programme over the following Christmas season,The Queen's Speech, recalling the visit.[42]
Though the Queen made several public appearances, onlookers remained at a distance behind security barriers most of the time. On the final day of her visit, she greeted members of the public on a short walkabout on a street inCork.[43] Earlier, she met with some members of the public who were carefully selected in advance.[2]
For the three nights of her visit, the Queen stayed atFarmleigh, the State Guest House in thePhoenix Park.[44]
There were ten people in the British delegation.[45]
| External videos | |
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 The Queen with Captain Tom Holmes inspecting the Guard Of Honour in Ireland | |
| Queen Elizabeth at Áras an Uachtaráin, British National Anthem |
The Queen arrived in Ireland, flying intoCasement Aerodrome with the Duke of Edinburgh.[46] She landed on schedule, "almost exactly at noon".[47]Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign AffairsEamon Gilmore greeted her and her party when they got off the plane.[48] The Queen wore a Stewart Parvin jade green dress[49] and coat accompanied by aRachel Trevor-Morgan hat,[citation needed] and a young girl named Rachel Fox fromShankill in Dublin gave her a bouquet of flowers.[48][50]
Following her arrival, she was driven toÁras an Uachtaráin, the residence of thePresident of Ireland in thePhoenix Park,[51] where she was welcomed by President McAleese and her husband,Martin. The Queen and Prince Philip then signed the guestbook.[52] While there, she also inspected a guard of honour of theDefence Forces accompanied by guard commander Captain Thomas Holmes (5th Infantry Battalion,Irish Army). A21-gun salute was fired in the background. Before lunch at the Áras, she planted an oak tree beside the Peace Bell in the garden.[53][54]
After changing clothes, she travelled to theGarden of Remembrance where she was greeted by theMinister for Justice andDefence,Alan Shatter. She and President McAleese each laid a wreath, and the Queen bowed to honour those who died for Irish independence.[55][56][57] She departed forTrinity College Library, where she viewed the ninth-centuryBook of Kells and the 15th-centuryTrinity College harp, and shook hands with many academics.[47] She then retired to Farmleigh for a private evening.[44]
The published schedule said she would arrive at Áras an Uachtaráin at 12:30, the Garden of Remembrance at 15:15 and Trinity College at 15:40.[44]
The Queen visited theGuinness Storehouse,Government Buildings, and theNational War Memorial Gardens, where she also laid a wreath,[58] before having a private lunch atFarmleigh. Among those who were invited to attend the National War Memorial ceremony were leaders of theUlster Defence Association, which caused some controversy.[59]
She also visited theCroke Park sports stadium, which was the site of theshooting of football spectators by British forces in 1920.[60] SomeGaelic Athletic Association officials were reported to have declined to attend the Croke Park event,[61] althoughChristy Cooney, president of the GAA, welcomed the Queen, saying "Your Majesty, on behalf of the members of the Gaelic Athletic Association throughout Ireland and across the world, I am delighted to welcome you to our headquarters at Croke Park".[62] The Queen was introduced to four inter-countyGaelic football andhurling players,[63] and presented with an originalOffalyhurley.[64]
A state dinner in honour of the Queen took place in the evening atDublin Castle. Following a speech and toast by President McAleese,[65] the Queen delivered a speech[66] on relations between Ireland and the United Kingdom.[51][67] The content of the speech, which was written by the Queen and her deputy private secretary,[68] drew widespread praise from the Irish media and from politicians, including Sinn Féin PresidentGerry Adams.[69] The Queen began her speech by speaking inIrish: "A Uachtaráin, agus a chairde" she said — "President and friends"[70] which caused President McAleese to turn to others at the table and say "Wow" three times.[69][71][72] The Queen noted the progress made in theNorthern Ireland peace process adding, "What were once only hopes for the future have now come to pass; it is almost exactly 13 years since the overwhelming majority of people in Ireland and Northern Ireland voted in favour of the agreement signed on Good Friday 1998, paving the way for Northern Ireland to become the exciting and inspirational place that it is today."[70][73]
The Queen toured theIrish National Stud inTully,County Kildare[51] for about half an hour. Afterwards, she visited theAga Khan's Gilltown stud south ofKilcullen in County Kildare. She lunched with the Aga Khan, his family, and other guests.[74][75] In the evening, she attended theNational Convention Centre in Dublin for a British Embassy party, at which the Queen hosted the President. The best of Irish and British fashion were on show, and there was a 45 minute concert including performances byThe Chieftains,Westlife, andRiverdance,compered bybroadcasterGay Byrne. The British Ambassador,Julian King, announced that "The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, together with President McAleese and two thousand invited guests from across Ireland, will experience the best of Irish music, dance, theatre and fashion in a unique event to mark the visit."[76][77] The Queen was greeted by long applause and a standing ovation after she made her way onto the stage at the end of the concert.[78]
The Queen visited theRock of Cashel inCashel,County Tipperary, on her way toCork, where theSinn Féin Mayor of Cashel, Michael Browne, welcomed her and shook her hand.[79][80][81]
After Cashel, she visitedCoolmore Stud, the world's largest horse-breeding operation, inFethard, County Tipperary. She has sent mares to be bred at the stud over the years. Following a tour of the facility, she dined withJohn Magnier and horse-racing industry notables, as well as other guests who have not been identified.[75][82]
While in Cork,[83] the Queen visited the city'sEnglish Market[84] on Princes Street after which she made unscheduled walkabout along theGrand Parade, greeting members of the public in the street,[85] before going toTyndall National Institute, a research centre which is part ofUniversity College Cork.[86] She left the country fromCork Airport in the late afternoon.
The Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) held a peaceful protest against the royal visit at 18:30 on 17 May at theGeneral Post Office (GPO) onO'Connell Street, Dublin, featuring former British soldiers and relatives of one British soldier killed in Afghanistan. Around 100 people attended to protest the presence of British Crown forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.[87] A protest and wreath laying ceremony by thesocialistRepublican partyÉirígí onDublin'sMoore Street passed off peacefully.[88] A protest byRepublican Sinn Féin and the32 County Sovereignty Movement on the corner ofDorset Street and Hardwicke Street led to jostling with the Gardaí, and some balloons were released into the air.[56][88][89]
On 18 May, a small protest organised by Republican Sinn Féin occurred peacefully nearCroke Park during the Queen's visit to the stadium. During her visit toDublin Castle, protests nearChrist Church Cathedral organised by groups such as Éirígí and the 32 County Sovereignty Movement included hundreds of people, of whom eight were arrested.[90]
It was announced in June 2012 thatSinn Féin'sMartin McGuinness, thedeputy first minister ofNorthern Ireland, would meet and shake hands with the Queen on a royal visit to the province.[91] The Queen's visit to the Republic, widely seen as being successful, was mentioned by some as a factor in Sinn Féin's decision to meet the Queen.Lord Empey, chairman of theUlster Unionist Party, noted that Sinn Féin's refusal to meet the Queen in Dublin resulted in a negative public reaction, and said a meeting was inevitable as a result,[92] while Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams said the meeting would be "the right thing to do at the right time and for the right reasons."[91]
The major legacy of the visit was that it set the scene for theState visit of the President of Ireland to the United Kingdom in 2014.
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