A huge security operation was in place in the Co Waterford town of Lismore last night as Prince Charles and his partner Camilla Parker Bowles arrived at Lismore Castle for the 60th birthday celebrations of Lord Hartington, son of the Duke of Devonshire.
The prince and Ms Parker Bowles flew into Cork Airport yesterday evening and arrived at Lismore Castle in a black BMW at 6.55 p.m.
There was only a handful of curious onlookers at the castle gates as they arrived. The couple are expected to stay in Lismore until Monday.
There was a flurry of Garda activity in the town yesterday ahead of the prince's arrival for the private engagement.
Members of the Garda's Special Detective Unit and Emergency Response Unit were drafted in to assist teams of gardaí from the Dungarvan division.
Members of the Garda sub-aqua team checked the River Blackwater, which flows past the castle, as part of the security operation.
Lord Hartington was unavailable for comment last night on the prince's visit and on his birthday celebrations, which are expected to be attended by a number of senior British politicians and celebrities.
Lismore Castle is the Irish ancestral home of the Duke of Devonshire's family.
Lord Hartington is heir to the duke's extensive British and Irish estates and is a friend of Prince Charles and a cousin of the royal family.
The Mayor of Lismore, Labour Cllr Mark Khan, will be one of the 200 guests at a drinks reception to mark Lord Hartington's birthday at Lismore Castle tomorrow evening.