Queen’s visit to bridge 100-year gap

A 100-YEAR gap will be bridged today when Britain’s Queen Elizabeth touches down at Baldonnel at the start of an official four-day state visit.

Exactly a century has passed since King George V — the queen’s grandfather — became the last British ruler to set foot in Ireland in 1911.

While George V and his party was warmly welcomed 100 years ago, the public will be afforded little or no opportunity to greet the queen on this occasion.

Spectators will be prevented from accessing the vast majority of venues to be visited by Queen Elizabeth, with no traditional royal “walkabouts” expected to take place due to security concerns.

A plan to restrict vehicles and pedestrians is being put in place at venues in Dublin, Cork, Kildare and Tipperary as part of the biggest security operation in the history of the state.

More than 100 armed British police and security service officers will also accompany the queen amid fears that dissident republican groups will try to disrupt the visit.

The threat posed by paramilitary organisations was highlighted yesterday when a coded bomb alert was received by police in London — in a warning timed to coincide with the arrival of Queen Elizabeth in Dublin.

Opponents of the visit are angry too that today also marks the 37th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in which 34 people were killed.

The historic and symbolic nature of the visit will be marked by formal ceremonies, including visits to the Garden of Remembrance and the Irish War Memorial Garden.

The importance of the visit will also be underlined by the arrival of British prime minister David Cameron and his foreign secretary, William Hague, in Dublin on Wednesday where they will join the queen for a formal state dinner in Dublin Castle.

The event will be the only scheduled speaking engagement by Queen Elizabeth at which she is expected to comment on the relationship between the two countries in a keynote address.

Key figures

* 100 years — the gap since a British monarch visited Ireland.

* 40 feet — the closest anyone will get to the queen.

* 8,000 — number of gardaí deployed.

* 2,000 — number of the Defence Forces on duty.

* 100 armed British security forces on duty.

* €30m — cost of security.