QUEEN ELIZABETH will conclude her four-day State visit to Ireland this evening after visits to the Rock of Cashel in Co Tipperary and to Cork city.
On the third day of the visit yesterday, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the National Stud in Co Kildare.
In the evening they attended an event hosted by the British ambassador Julian King at the national convention centre in Dublin, which was attended by 2,000 guests.
The entertainment featured a fashion show involving prominent Irish designers, including John Rocha and Paul Costelloe. That was followed by a concert featuring The Chieftains, Westlife, Mary Byrne and other performers.
Queen Elizabeth was introduced to the performers on stage at the conclusion of the concert at 8pm.
There was a highly organised security operation in Dublin and Kildare yesterday, with 10,000 Garda and Defence Forces personnel involved.
Restrictions on access to the quays on both sides of the Liffey ahead of the event in the national convention centre led to widespread traffic disruption.
There were also minor disturbances involving protesters from splinter republican and anarchist groups.
Yesterday, the Government portrayed the visit as an outstanding success in its first three days which had the potential to elevate the relationship between Ireland and Britain to a new plane.
While officials said it was too early to assess the full implications of the visit, those contacted by The Irish Times said it had been very successful, despite the massive security operation surrounding the visit and the consequent high cost.
The visit will cost the State between €25 million and €30 million. Officials laid great emphasis on the Queen’s speech on Wednesday night, as a significant restatement of the relationship between both states.
Both political leaders focused on the speech in their public comments yesterday.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said Irish people were very taken by the words chosen, and “by the clarity and ringing tone”.
British prime minister David Cameron said that what Queen Elizabeth had said about what could have been done differently in the past, or not done, “would have spoken volumes to the people in Ireland”.
“I think everybody back in the UK is hugely enthusiastic about this visit,” Mr Cameron added.
A Government spokesman said last night that the State visit had been characterised by its warmth from the outset.
“That warmth has increased as the visit has progressed and that atmosphere is set to continue as the itinerary moves to Cashel and Cork,” the spokesman said.
Yesterday’s trip to Co Kildare was arranged to facilitate a sport for which the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh both have a huge passion.
At the National Stud, the Queen was accompanied during her visit by its chairwoman Lady Chryss O’Reilly. She was introduced to champion jockey Johnny Murtagh and met all of the successful Irish trainers from this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
The Queen and Prince Philip will begin the final day of their State visit with a tour of the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary. They will then visit the renowned fresh-food market, the English Market in Cork, before visiting the Tyndall Institute at University College Cork.
The State visit by the royal couple will conclude when both depart for Britain from Cork airport this afternoon.
