President welcomes Queen to Ireland

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has been welcomed to the Republic of Ireland.

A ceremony has taken place at Aras an Uachtarain in Dublin to mark the official start of the four-day State visit, after the Queen's flight touched down in Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnell just before midday.

President Mary McAleese is currently holding a private meeting with her.

Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived in the past half hour and were greeted on the red carpet by President and Dr McAleese.

She was then escorted through the entrance hall for an introduction to the Taoiseach in the Drawing Room before a walk along the Francini Corridor, which is lined with busts of Irish political leaders, into the State Reception Room.

They will sign the visitors book before going back outside to the Portico step where a 21-gun salute will start on the first note of 'God Save the Queen' and will end on the last note of 'Amhrán na Bhfiann'.

Afterwards, she will plant an Irish oak in the garden at the Aras beside the peace bell and a short distance from where Queen Victoria planted a tree 150 years ago, the oldest in the estate.

She will have a private lunch before the most symbolic moment today in the Garden of Remembrance where she will lay a wreath.