Final preparations are under way today for Queen Elizabeth's historic four-day visit to the Republic, which begins tomorrow.
The largest security operation in the history of the State is in place amid fears dissident republicans may try to disrupt the trip.
The Queen is due to touch down at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel at noon tomorrow, from where she will be transferred to Áras an Uachtaráin for a ceremonial welcome.
After meeting President Mary McAleese and her husband Martin, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, will attend a tree-planting ceremony in the Áras and a lunch hosted by the McAleeses.
The symbolic highlight of the first day of the visit is likely to be at the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square, where the 85-year-old British monarch will lay a wreath. She will then travel to Trinity College to view the Book of Kells and attend a reception before repairing to Farmleigh for a private evening.
While the four-day visit is likely to cause some disruption for motorists and commuters, it is seen by the Government as a significant opportunity to market Ireland as a tourist destination.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said Government and the Garda were conscious of security threats, but maintained the Queen would receive a warm welcome from the vast majority of Irish people.
He described her visit as the start of a new era between the two countries based on respect, friendship and mutual recognition.
Gardaí have banned onlookers from the streets outside all the destinations on her visit. They say protesters will not get near the Queen, with up to 4,000 officers on the streets at any one time in Dublin alone.
Surveillance has been stepped up on known republican dissidents, with several arrests made in the North and South.
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said he believed people would understand that the inconvenience they experienced as a result of the security arrangements were necessary to ensure the visit went off well and the benefits for the country were maximised.
Members of the public have been urged to use public transport over the coming days as on-street parking will be restricted at about 40 locations in Dublin.
Dublin Bus, Iarnród Éireann and Luas are all providing regular updates regarding possible delays to their services via their websites and Twitter.
Seventeen Dublin Bikes stations are to be closed from 2pm today until Wednesday morning due to the royal visit. Access to other stations may also be restricted over the coming days.
On Wednesday, the Queen is due to visit the Guinness Storehouse, meet the Taoiseach and lay a wreath at the Irish War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge. In the afternoon, she will visit Croke Park. Mrs McAleese will host a State dinner in Dublin Castle that evening.
Thursday's itinerary includes visits to the National Stud and the Aga Khan's Gilltown Stud, as well as a reception at the Convention Centre in Dublin. For the last day of the visit on Friday, the Queen travels to the Rock of Cashel and Coolmore Stud in Co Tipperary before fulfilling a number of engagements in Cork and leaving Ireland from Cork airport.
Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan thanked the public for "their continued cooperation and assistance with arrangements for the state visit".
"An Garda Síochána has been planning for this week's visit for some time and we have put a comprehensive policing and security plan in place.
Mr Callanan acknowledged the security operation would "of necessity, involve some inconvenience and disruption to people's daily lives".
"We are working to ensure that the nature and scale of our policing and security operation is proportionate to the need to protect everyone's safety. Our objective is to share as much information with the public as we can, within the obvious security constraints and we will ensure that any security measures are not in place for a minute longer than
they are required."
The commissioner also thanked other agencies, including the Defence Forces, local and other civic authorities and the public transport companies.