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Updated 9.50am
A MASSIVE SECURITY operation is underway this morning as Queen Elizabeth II begins her first state visit to the Republic of Ireland.
The Queen will spend four days in Ireland, visiting Dublin, Kildare, Tipperary and Cork. After landing at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel at around midday today, she’ll travel to the Phoenix Park where she’ll meet with President Mary McAleese and take part in a tree planting ceremony. From there the Queen will attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Garden of Remembrance before a visit to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College Dublin.
The eyes of the world’s media are on Dublin today as the historic visit gets underway. The Deparment of Foreign Affairs says that 1,200 journalists have been accredited to cover the Queen’s trip, and that 450 of these are from outside Ireland. The Irish Times reports that the BBC, Sky News, CNN are all providing coverage of the visit, along with TV stations from China and Russia.
Controlled explosion
Strict traffic measures are in place as part of the security operation, with many roads in Dublin City Centre already closed to traffic this morning. A rolling system of road closures and restrictions will be in place along the various routes of the Queen’s visit over the next four days. A number of security alerts have arisen in advance of her arrival. This morning a suspect package was found at near the Blackhorse Luas stop in Inchicore, but was later declared a hoax.The Red Line was not running between the Red Cow and Heuston for a time as a result, but services are now back to normal. Last night a viable explosive device was made safe during a controlled explosion on a bus in Maynooth in County Kildare, as reported here by the New York Times, while a suspect package in Summerhill in Dublin was declared a hoax. A bomb threat connected to the visit was also investigated in London yesterday.
The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has told RTE that people are entitled to express their views and protest against the visit, but that he hopes they will not embarass the country.
Tomorrow the Queen’s itinerary will include visits to the Guinness Storehouse, The Irish War Memorial Garden, Croke Park and Dublin Castle, meaning the security measures around the city will continue. On Thursday she’ll travel to Kildare to visit the Irish National Stud, and then on Friday she’ll travel to the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary before visit the English Market and the Tyndall Institute in Cork. The Benhaffaf twins, who were separated at Great Ormond Street hospital last year after being born conjoined in Cork will be among the invited guests at the Tyndall Institute.
Former British Prime Minister John Major has said that the Queen’s visit is a “pivotal event” in the relationship between the UK and the Republic of Ireland, reports the BBC. Current Prime Minister David Cameron, who will also visit Ireland this week, says the Queen’s trip is a “huge step forward” in healing the division which has existed between the two countries.
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You love me. You really, really love me…
No!
I love you..
Have to say OU182 that was a mighty fine comment.. Ireland could do with you in the department of tourism!
In fact, (my partner and I were just discussing your movie idea – which is fantastic, just think Tír na n’Óg, Children of Lír, Ireland is stuffed to the gills with fantasy ripe for the cinema, its been huge in recent years) as Ireland was on Peter Jacksons short list of locations when he thought he might not be able to film the Hobbit in New Zealand, we should be promoting the hell out of our landscape to filmakers for fantasy films, hopefully the success of Game of Thrones in the north may tempt a few more directors to take a look around this little island of ours! (There have been a few but sadly they didn’t do so well.. The classical Irish myths and legends would be big hits with audiences all over the world who have embraced them already).
It’s amazing they haven’t been done already.
Peter Jackson would be top choice for me.
Part funding is a great idea.
There’s so much fantasy stuff which could be internationally cast (they don’t all have to be Irish, we just need people who would look & sound Irish). The stories are amazing. Update them to match the current fantasy driven releases & there’s no reason they wouldn’t be hits. The tourism board & the film board could partially fund it with the remaining coming from the studio that makes it
Guillermo del Toro who was supposed to direct The Hobbit, filmed part of Hellboy II in Ireland – (from wikipedia & spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn’t seen it: “Nuada kidnaps his sister and critically wounds Hellboy with his spear. Unable to remove the spear shard, Liz, Abe and Krauss take Hellboy to the location of the Golden Army in The Giants Causeway County Antrim, Northern Ireland. They encounter a Bethmoora goblin, and he brings them before the Angel of Death, who has been awaiting their arrival. ”
It looks amazing on screen & is instantly recognisable. The old Irish tales are fantastic in depth & history & fantasy. A slight modernisation, a decent cast & a director who knows what to do with a good story & there’s huge potential, both in terms of box office revenue & tourism boosts (proven in the past).
Would probably be crucified for this, but if you had the likes of Chris Helmsworth or a beefed up Robert Pattinson playing CuChulain (Michael Fasbender was linked to the role a year ago but nothing happened), that would bring girls in to see it, the fantasy would bring the guys in & the quality of the stories would bring everyone else.
I should do a kickstarter to raise the funds for a proof of concept start.
Can’t beat the Táin for an epic ending – strapped dying to a rock, facing the horde. Mind you, we’d have to change the whole ‘going to war for cows’ thing a bit…
Perhaps sacred cows …. pro life pro choice
I think the funniest comments of the week are happening right now on the “Plane shot over runway into the sea” article
Ohhh we are a funny lot ;)
“THIS IS (!) A CATHOLIC COUNTRY!” lol
Exactly. Gas :)
Where’s my one about taking a shite,a good 1,000 on that baby,haha.not that I care like :-)
And the past few weeks, Christine?
Oh no, he’s kicking off again.
That’s right, Little Jim, you bow down to the Man (or in this case Woman).
That’s what she said last night!
Be nice to eachother and I’m not going to tell ye again.Now behave.
Your bullets cannot harm me.
Wehey!!!!!!!!!
So I take it ya you took on my suggestion from last week Christine, or is it a coincidence? :)
have your say