IN A moving ceremony on the first day of her state visit, Queen Elizabeth laid a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance in memory of those who died for Irish freedom.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny last night described the impact of the day’s events as “symbolism beyond words”. He said the way the Queen had bowed her head after she laid the wreath was “exceptionally powerful”.
The Army Band played God Save the Queenduring the ceremony. A minute's silence was observed after wreaths were laid by the Queen and President McAleese.
It was the central event on a day designed to represent formally the goodwill that exists between Ireland and Britain.
The absence of crowds on the streets of Dublin, due to the massive security operation, detracted somewhat from the occasion but the warmth of the welcome from staff, students and guests during a visit to Trinity College Dublin was some compensation.
Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip arrived at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, shortly before noon to be greeted by Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Éamon Gilmore and a guard of honour from the Defence Forces.
They then travelled to Áras an Uachtaráin where they were welcomed by President McAleese and her husband Martin at the official start of the first visit by a reigning British monarch in 100 years.
As part of the ceremonial welcome, the Queen received a 21-gun salute as the Army Band played the British and Irish national anthems and the Air Corps performed a ceremonial fly-by.
Queen Elizabeth inspected a guard of honour from the Defence Forces and planted a tree in the Áras garden beside the peace bell, placed there in 2008 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement.
The President held a brief meeting with the Queen before hosting a lunch. The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, British foreign secretary William Hague and a number of officials from both countries were among the small number of guests, as were David Trimble and John Hume, the writer Edna O’Brien and sports commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh.
After the lunch, the Queen and the President travelled to the Garden of Remembrance, where they were greeted by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter and Army Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Seán McCann.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and former taoisigh Brian Cowen, Bertie Ahern and Albert Reynolds attended the event, along with the members of the Council of State.
Noise from a small number of republican protesters who attacked gardaí at the top of Parnell Street could be heard during the wreath-laying ceremony.
The biggest security operation in the history of the State, involving abour 10,000 gardaí and Defence Forces personnel, has been put in place for the visit.
The last leg of the Queen’s itinerary involved a visit to Trinity College, established by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592. The Tricolour and the British flag few over the college.
On arrival at the university, the royal party was greeted by Trinity provost John Hegarty, Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn and the chancellor of the university, former president Mary Robinson.
The Queen was shown the Book of Kells by college librarian Robin Adams. Prince Phillip joked that it should be called the Book of Iona, as it is believed to have been created by Columban monks on the Scottish island before being taken to Kells for safe-keeping during the Viking raids.
The royal party were taken on a tour of the old library building and its famous Long Room, where they met staff and students of the college, as well as representatives of a wide range of other educational institutions and some local people.
When the Queen left the library, she was greeted with applause by 250 or so staff and students who had gathered outside. She was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Rebecca Kilkelly, a student of the college whose great-grandmother presented a bouquet to Queen Victoria during her three-week visit to Ireland in 1900.
The royal party then travelled to Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park where they spent the night.
