Royal rebel welcome

IT WAS the moment the country had hoped for. Queen Elizabeth II reached out to the people of Ireland. A gesture so simple and yet so profound, it encapsulated the historic visit.

Ross Twomey, a 28-year-old Special Olympian from Douglas, was there to share it.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh captured the hearts of the nation as they embarked on an unexpected walkabout on Grand Parade in Cork city centre.