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[[Taoiseach]] [[Enda Kenny]] linked the visit to the [[Good Friday Agreement]] being put into full effect.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0304/queen.html|title=Britain's Queen Elizabeth to visit Ireland - RTÉ News|date=4 March 2011|work=[[RTÉ.ie]]|accessdate=17 May 2011}}</ref> The queen was welcomed by Irish President [[Mary McAleese]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13424403 |title=Queen's vist to Ireland: Day one as it happened |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2011-05-18}}</ref> Unionist leader and the Northern Ireland First Minister [[Peter Robinson]] said the visit was "a sign of the normalisation of relations between our two countries", while the leader of [[Sinn Féin]], [[Gerry Adams]], said he did not "think this is the right time for the English Queen" to visit.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12652934|title=BBC News - Reaction: Queen visit to Ireland|date=4 March 2011|work=[[BBC News Online]]|accessdate=17 May 2011}}</ref> However, McAleese said it was "absolutely the right moment", and described the visit as "an extraordinary moment in Irish history".<ref name="RTE 16May">{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0516/queen.html|title=State visit an extraordinary moment - McAleese - RTÉ News|date=16 May 2011|work=[[RTÉ.ie]]|accessdate=17 May 2011}}</ref> |
[[Taoiseach]] [[Enda Kenny]] linked the visit to the [[Good Friday Agreement]] being put into full effect.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0304/queen.html|title=Britain's Queen Elizabeth to visit Ireland - RTÉ News|date=4 March 2011|work=[[RTÉ.ie]]|accessdate=17 May 2011}}</ref> The queen was welcomed by Irish President [[Mary McAleese]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13424403 |title=Queen's vist to Ireland: Day one as it happened |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2011-05-18}}</ref> Unionist leader and the Northern Ireland First Minister [[Peter Robinson]] said the visit was "a sign of the normalisation of relations between our two countries", while the leader of [[Sinn Féin]], [[Gerry Adams]], said he did not "think this is the right time for the English Queen" to visit.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12652934|title=BBC News - Reaction: Queen visit to Ireland|date=4 March 2011|work=[[BBC News Online]]|accessdate=17 May 2011}}</ref> However, McAleese said it was "absolutely the right moment", and described the visit as "an extraordinary moment in Irish history".<ref name="RTE 16May">{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0516/queen.html|title=State visit an extraordinary moment - McAleese - RTÉ News|date=16 May 2011|work=[[RTÉ.ie]]|accessdate=17 May 2011}}</ref> |
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However, the cost of the visit has been a cause for concern. [[Teachta Dála|TD]] [[Joe Higgins]] asked in [[Dáil Éireann]] if "the queen of England ''([[sic]])'' 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 – [[Homelessness|sleeping rough]], as the country faced [[bankruptcy]] to pay off the debts of [[Germany|German]] and [[France|French]] banks which had recklessly gambled and lost in the [[Irish property bubble]]".<ref>{{cite news|author=[[Joe Higgins|Higgins, Joe]]|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/05/16/ireland.uk.queen.higgins/|title=Lawmaker: Irish should not roll out 'green carpet' for Queen Elizabeth|date=17 May 2011|work=[[CNN]]|accessdate=17 May 2011}}</ref> According to [[Richard Boyd Barrett]] TD, the cost of the visit will be approximately €30 million (US$42 million, GB ₤26 million).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13424403|title=Queen's historic visit to Ireland|date=17 May 2011|work=[[BBC News Online]]|accessdate=17 May 2011}}</ref> Some citizens objected to the cost of the visit, with one saying "A lot of my colleagues are out of work and feel the money could be better spent".<ref name="securitycostcomplaint">{{cite news|author=[[Henry McDonald (writer)|McDonald, Henry]]|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/17/queen-ireland-republicans-dubliners|title=The Queen in Ireland: republicans raise a din but Dubliners extend a welcome... most people's major complaint is cost of security|date=17 May 2011|work=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=17 May 2011}}</ref> |
However, the cost of the visit has been a cause for concern. Former [[Trotskyism|Trotskyite]] [[Teachta Dála|TD]] [[Joe Higgins]] asked in [[Dáil Éireann]] if "the queen of England ''([[sic]])'' 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 – [[Homelessness|sleeping rough]], as the country faced [[bankruptcy]] to pay off the debts of [[Germany|German]] and [[France|French]] banks which had recklessly gambled and lost in the [[Irish property bubble]]".<ref>{{cite news|author=[[Joe Higgins|Higgins, Joe]]|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/05/16/ireland.uk.queen.higgins/|title=Lawmaker: Irish should not roll out 'green carpet' for Queen Elizabeth|date=17 May 2011|work=[[CNN]]|accessdate=17 May 2011}}</ref> According to [[Richard Boyd Barrett]] TD, the cost of the visit will be approximately €30 million (US$42 million, GB ₤26 million).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13424403|title=Queen's historic visit to Ireland|date=17 May 2011|work=[[BBC News Online]]|accessdate=17 May 2011}}</ref> Some citizens objected to the cost of the visit, with one saying "A lot of my colleagues are out of work and feel the money could be better spent".<ref name="securitycostcomplaint">{{cite news|author=[[Henry McDonald (writer)|McDonald, Henry]]|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/17/queen-ireland-republicans-dubliners|title=The Queen in Ireland: republicans raise a din but Dubliners extend a welcome... most people's major complaint is cost of security|date=17 May 2011|work=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=17 May 2011}}</ref> |
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===United Kingdom=== |
===United Kingdom=== |
Revision as of 13:02, 18 May 2011
On 17 May 2011, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip began a state visit to the Republic of Ireland, at the invitation of the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese. The visit is planned to continue until 20 May. It is the first visit by a British monarch to the area that is now the Republic of Ireland since the 1911 tour by her grandfather King George V, when it was still an integral part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The intervening period in the history of Irish republicanism saw the 1916 proclamation of the Irish Republic during the Easter Rising against British rule, leading ultimately to the partition of Ireland in 1921. Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom, while the sovereign state on the island of Ireland had by 1949 severed all vestigial ties with the British crown and Commonwealth.
The visit is seen as a symbolic normalisation of British–Irish relations, despite bomb threats,[1] following the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which settled many outstanding issues of sovereignty and citizenship in Northern Ireland between the states. During the visit, the Queen was to visit sites of republican significance in Dublin, such as the Garden of Remembrance and Croke Park, scene of the 1920 Bloody Sunday. Arrangements for the visit included the largest security operation in the history of the Republic of Ireland.[2]
Background
Her visit comes one hundred years after the last visit by a British monarch when her grandfather, King George V, visited Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, Leopardstown, and Maynooth on 8–12 July 1911, as part of his accession tour.[3][4][5][6] The visit also occurs a few days before a visit by US President Barack Obama.[7]
The visit has drawn comparisons to Lord Mountbatten's visit when he was killed by an IRA bombing. Sligo Mayor Matt Lyons said that the local tourist industry was still recovering from the bombing: "Mullaghmore attracted a lot of English people prior to Lord Mountbatten's murder. It took years and years for that to recover and it hasn't really recovered."[8][9]
Initial reaction
Ireland
Taoiseach Enda Kenny linked the visit to the Good Friday Agreement being put into full effect.[10] The queen was welcomed by Irish President Mary McAleese.[11] Unionist leader and the Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said the visit was "a sign of the normalisation of relations between our two countries", while the leader of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams, said he did not "think this is the right time for the English Queen" to visit.[12] However, McAleese said it was "absolutely the right moment", and described the visit as "an extraordinary moment in Irish history".[13]
However, the cost of the visit has been a cause for concern. Former Trotskyite TD Joe Higgins asked in Dáil Éireann if "the queen of England (sic) 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 faced bankruptcy to pay off the debts of German and French banks which had recklessly gambled and lost in the Irish property bubble".[14] According to Richard Boyd Barrett TD, the cost of the visit will be approximately €30 million (US$42 million, GB ₤26 million).[15] Some citizens objected to the cost of the visit, with one saying "A lot of my colleagues are out of work and feel the money could be better spent".[16]
United Kingdom
British prime minister David Cameron described it as "a huge step forward" for diplomatic relations between the two countries,[17] while former prime minister Sir John Major also rejected Gerry Adams' criticism that the visit was premature, saying the visit put "a seal on the past and builds for the future" and there had not been "anything of equivalent significance in the last few decades".[18]
Itinerary
Though the Queen is to make several public appearances onlookers will remain at a distance behind barriers. However, she is expected to meet some members of the public who have been carefully selected in advance. Two water cannon have been imported to deal with any disorder that may arise.[2]
For the first three nights of her visit, the Queen will stay at Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park. Farmleigh House is the official Irish State Guest House.[19]
Day 1
The Queen arrived in Ireland, flying into Baldonnel military airbase with the Duke of Edinburgh.[20] She landed on schedule, "almost exactly at noon".[21] Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore was there to greet them when they got off the plane.[22] The Queen wore a Stewart Parvin jade green dress and coat accompanied by a Rachel Trevor-Morgan hat and Rachel Fox gave her flowers.[22] The Union Flag flew alongside the Irish tricolour and the flag of the European Union outside the Merrion Hotel opposite Government Buildings as she touched down on Irish soil.[21]
After changing clothes, she appeared in the following Dublin locations: Garden of Remembrance (with President Mary McAleese),[23] Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) and Áras an Uachtaráin (residence of the President of Ireland)[24] where the unprecedented playing of God Save the Queen took place amidst republican protests[25] was played after she and Prince Philip signed the guestbook.[26] Her visit to lay wreath at a monument for those who died for Irish independence was also met with controversy.[27] While there Elizabeth inspected a guard of honour.[28] The Queen moved on to lay a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance [29] and then viewed the Book of Kells at Trinity College.[21] She was scheduled to be at Áras an Uachtaráin at 12:30, the Garden of Remembrance at 15:15 and Trinity College at 15:40.[19] She then departed to Farmleigh for the night.[19]
The Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) held a peaceful protest against the royal visit at 18:30 at the General Post Office (GPO) on O'Connell Street, Dublin, featuring former British soldiers and relatives of one British soldier killed in Afghanistan. Around 100 people attended including Richard Boyd Barrett, TD.[30]
Day 2
The Queen will appear in the following Dublin locations: Guinness Storehouse, Government Buildings, National War Memorial Gardens, a private lunch at Farmleigh, Croke Park,[31] and a State dinner in the Queen's honour at Dublin Castle, where the monarch will make a major speech on relations between Ireland and Britain.[32][24] There was controversy when it was revealed that leaders of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) had been invited to the National War Memorial ceremony. The UDA is a loyalist paramilitary which is listed as a proscribed terrorist group in both the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.[33]
The Queen is to visit Croke Park where she is expected to watch children playing games of Gaelic football and hurling. Several Gaelic Athletic Association officials were reported to have refused to attend Croke Park on the eve of her visit.[34] Croke Park is an important location in the history of Anglo-Irish relations. British troops disrupted a Gaelic football game between Dublin and Tipperary at the stadium on 21 November 1920, shooting at players and spectators alike and killing 14 people, including the Tipperary team captain Michael Hogan, following the murder of 14 British intelligence officers.[35]
Day 3
The Queen will tour the Irish National Stud in Tully, County Kildare[24] for about half an hour. Afterwards, she will visit the Aga Khan's Gilltown stud south of Kilcullen in County Kildare. She will have lunch with the Aga Khan, his family, and other guests who have not been identified.[36][37] In the evening, she will attend the National Convention Centre in Dublin for a British Embassy party at which the Queen will host the President. The best of Irish and British fashion will be on show and there will be a 45-minute concert including performances by The Chieftains, Westlife, and Riverdance. 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."[38][39][40]
Day 4
The Queen will visit the Rock of Cashel in Cashel, South Tipperary, on her way to Cork.[24]
After Cashel, she will visit Coolmore Stud, the world's largest horse-breeding operation, in Fethard, County Tipperary. The Queen has sent mares to be bred at the stud over the years. Following a tour of the facility, she will dine with John Magnier and horse-racing industry notables, as well as other guests who have not been identified.[37][41]
While in Cork, the Queen will visit the city's English Market on Princes Street before going to the Tyndall Institute, a research centre part of University College Cork. A formal reception is to take place at City Hall at the request of the Lord Mayor.[42]
The Queen will leave the country from Cork Airport in the evening.
Responses
Criticism
The English anti-Monarchy activist and singer-songwriter Morrissey (who is of Irish Catholic descent) penned a letter to Hot Press in which he said the visit was "part of a new palace PR campaign to re-invent the Windsors." He also said of Northern Ireland that she should "give back the Six Counties to the Irish people." An Phoblacht cited his song "Irish Blood, English Heart."[43] He also criticised the removal of placard-carrying protesters from the scene of the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton weeks earlier as being "entirely against any notion of democracy, and is against freedom of speech".[44][45][46][47]
Novelist Sean O'Reilly said there was "more dissent on the streets than the media are allowing on the airwaves" and voiced opposition to the Queen's trip to the Garden of Remembrance "...even if she is very welcome in this country. There is more to be done and said before I can embrace her laying a wreath there".[16]
Women attending the Rotunda Hospital were warned that they would encounter road closures and heavy security on 17 May as the hospital was to be disrupted by Elizabeth laying a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance. A senior doctor reacted to the disruption, including the cancellation of hundreds of appointments and withdrawal of staff parking, by describing it as a "headache" that was going to have "a big impact on a working maternity hospital".[48]
Descendants of those who led the Easter Rising described the visit as "full of contradictions" and "very inappropriate and insensitive." James Connolly's great-grandson noted one such contradiction: "The Garden of Remembrance honours all those who fought and died for Irish freedom and that's where the queen will be laying a wreath [...] Given that the Queen of England still occupies part of this island, is it not strange that she is honouring those who fought and died?"[44]
Republican reaction
Republican Sinn Fein said it was opposed to the visit and that it symbolised the "normalisation of British Rule in Ireland." It issued a statement reading: "This visit is part of a carefully orchestrated campaign to normalize British rule and the enforced partition of Ireland. Irish Republicans will actively oppose this visit in order to send out the clear message that British rule and the partition of Ireland will never be either normal or acceptable. Kildare Republican Sinn Féin will play our part in this nationwide campaign and will take the lead in opposing this visit to County Kildare."[49] It set up a website called "British Queen Not Welcome In Ireland."[50]
An Phoblacht suggested said alternative events were planned to coincide with her visit. The events included:[51]
- 17 May: A ceremony by the relatives of the Justice for the Forgotten at the Talbot Street at the Connolly Rail Station which was open to the general public but without posters or banners; at the same time as the visit to the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square, Sinn Féin planned to release 1,000 black balloons; Sinn Féin's commemoration in the Dáil Eireann for the Dublin/Monaghan bombings;[clarification needed] and a vigil in the evening for Sinn Féin TDs. An event was also scheduled in Monaghan.
- 18 May: Sinn Féin planned a candlelight vigil at the Famine Monument in commemoration of the Irish hunger strike.
- 19 May: An "evening of reminiscences" for the Hunger Strike by Dublin republicans who were active at the time which would include: songs, poetry and readings from "The Diary of Bobby Sands."
- 20 May: An event in Cork in "celebration of republicanism."
Security issues
The visit of the Queen to the Republic of Ireland has also led to threats of violence being issued. According to Scotland Yard, dissident Irish republicans issued a bomb threat regarding London on the eve of the visit.[13] 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 for the British mainland.[52] There was also a terror alert in Dublin on the eve of the visit. A pipe bomb was found on a Dublin-bound bus in Maynooth, County Kildare and made safe after a warning call was made to the police. A second suspect package was found in Dublin on the first day of the visit, but was declared a hoax after being examined.[53] On 17 May, bomb scares were reported in Inchicore and the northside Dublin suburb of Fairview.
Media coverage
The visit was covered extensively by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) and TV3. RTÉ and TV3 extended their normal programming. RTÉ broadcast events on television, radio and internet. The Queen and Us, by Tommie Gorman, was broadcast on the night of 17 May at the end of the first day of the visit (with a vt clock broadcast at the start of the last part).[54]
The visit was marked with several documentaries, including:
- Forbidden Love: The Royals, narrated by Rosaleen Linehan on RTÉ[55]
- The Queen and Us, presented by Tommie Gorman on RTÉ[55]
- The Queen in Ireland, a BBC news special[55]
References
- ^ "UK queen visits Ireland despite bomb scare". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ a b Roberts, Laura (17 May 2011). "The Queen in Ireland: security operation is largest in republic's history". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ "BBC News - Queen on first state visit to Republic of Ireland". BBC News Online. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ The royal family leaving Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire) by carriage (1911) RTÉ Libraries and Archives. Retrieved: 2011-05-17.
- ^ The Visit to Ireland Medal 1911 - 2011 The Royal Irish Constabulary Forum. Retrieved: 2011-05-17.
- ^ How George V was received by the Irish in 1911 The Daily Telegraph 2011-11-10.
- ^ "'Very strong' security for Queen & Obama visits - RTÉ News". RTÉ.ie. 4 May 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ Jess, Mervyn (12 May 2011). "Into the West - rural Ireland awaits the Queen's visit". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ "Queen Elizabeth II's cousin Lord Mountbatten was killed by a bomb explosion in the ship". Fubuku.com. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ "Britain's Queen Elizabeth to visit Ireland - RTÉ News". RTÉ.ie. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ "Queen's vist to Ireland: Day one as it happened". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ "BBC News - Reaction: Queen visit to Ireland". BBC News Online. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ a b "State visit an extraordinary moment - McAleese - RTÉ News". RTÉ.ie. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ Higgins, Joe (17 May 2011). "Lawmaker: Irish should not roll out 'green carpet' for Queen Elizabeth". CNN. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ "Queen's historic visit to Ireland". BBC News Online. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ a b McDonald, Henry (17 May 2011). "The Queen in Ireland: republicans raise a din but Dubliners extend a welcome... most people's major complaint is cost of security". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ Stephen Collins and Conor Lally (17 May 2011). "Queen Elizabeth to begin historic visit to the Republic". The Irish Times.
- ^ "Major hails 'significant' visit". The Belfast Telegraph. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ a b c "Royal engagements: where the Queen will go today: The Queen's itinerary today". The Irish Times. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ "Queen begins first state visit to Republic of Ireland". BBC. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ a b c "Union Jack flies across from Government buildings as the Queen touches down". thejournal.ie. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ a b "Queen completes today's public engagements". RTÉ.ie. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ Name * (25 February 2011). "Queen visits Garden of Remembrance". Insideireland.ie. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ a b c d "The Queen's state visit to Ireland, 17–20 May". BBC. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ "Queen Elizabeth pays tribute to Irish rebels as God Save the Queen plays in Dublin". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ "Queen welcomed to presidential palace on her first visit to republic of Ireland". YouTube. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ "The personal tragedy behind the Queen's Ireland visit". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ "Queen's visit to Ireland – live updates: 12.51pm". The Guardian. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ "Queen's visit to Ireland – live updates: 3.27pm". The Guardian. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ "Violence at Dublin protests". The Irish Times. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ "Queen in tribute to Irish war dead". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ Queen's itinerary: day two Irish Times, 2011-05-17.
- ^ "Commemoration invite to UDA members inappropriate, says campaigner". Irish Examiner. 16 May 2011.
- ^ "GAA officials in royal snub". JOE.ie. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- ^ "The Queen in Ireland: Croke Park history". The Daily Telegraph. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ Village to be sealed off for queen's stud visit Irish Independent, 2011-05-10.
- ^ a b Royal guest will slip off to visit top racehorses Sunday Independent, 2011-05-15.
- ^ Parking chaos expected for duration of VIP trips Irish Independent, 2011-05-11.
- ^ Exciting line up for Return Event Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2011-05-15.
- ^ Mary Byrne and Westlife to sing for Queen on state visit BreakingNews.ie, 2011-05-10.
- ^ Queen's calling to the sport of kings Irish Times, 2011-05-16.
- ^ City Council, Cork. "Visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Cork".
- ^ "Singer Morrissey says British queen should give Six Counties back to Ireland". Aprnonline.com. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ a b "Smith icon Morrisey - Queen is anti-democracy". The Belfast Telegraph. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ "Morrissey says the Queen should give six counties back to Ireland". Hot Press. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- ^ "The Very Existence of the Queen Is Against Any Notion of Democracy". Hot Press. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- ^ "Queen's visit to Ireland – live updates: 11.50am". The Guardian. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ "Queen's visit hits 500 maternity check-ups". The Belfast Telegraph. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- ^ "Sinn Féin opposes Queen's visit". Presstv.ir. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ "British Queen Not Welcome In Ireland". Britishqueennotwelcome.info. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ "British queen's state visit – Alternative events supported by Sinn Féin". Aprnonline.com. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ "BBC News - Bomb warning received in London". BBC News Online. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ "Luas Red Line returns to normal after alert - RTÉ News". RTÉ.ie. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ Melia, Paul (17 May 2011). "RTE and TV3 to provide extensive TV, radio and web coverage of week's historic events". Irish Independent. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ a b c "The Queen's Visit". RTÉ.ie. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.