THE QUEEN’S visit to the Republic now looks certain to go ahead, although opinion in Ireland remains sharply divided.
However, it seems the majority of people agree that a visit by the nearest Head of State is long overdue.
Today, Ireland is a thriving democracy, on an equal footing with Britain both internationally and within the EU.
Britain is our biggest trading partner, and our aims, aspirations and indeed fears are roughly similar.
It’s difficult to see what could threaten Ireland that would not equally threaten Britain (and vice versa) — whether it’s a global economic slowdown, international terrorism or climate change. Our fates, for better or worse, are now inextricably intertwined.
It is against this background that The Irish Post believes a visit to Ireland by Queen Elizabeth should be welcomed.
A united Ireland will one day include disparate groups such as the Anglo-Irish community in the Republic, the unionist community in the North, the nationalist community in the North — plus the majority population in the Republic.
A united Ireland, in a spiritual sense, will also include the Diaspora, particularly in Britain — and it’s worthwhile remembering that paradoxically the biggest immigrant group in Ireland are the British.
All these constituencies have their own political beliefs and agendas to a greater or lesser extent — but all have to be made welcome in Ireland. A visit by the Queen would spell out the maturity and plurality of modern day Ireland.
What unlocked the door for a Royal visit was, of course, the publication of the Saville Report, its generally satisfactory findings and the wholesome apology of the British Prime Minister.
It remains something of a pity that Queen Elizabeth has not spoken out on the same topic — she is, after all, the head of the British armed forces.
An acknowledgment of the hurt and the harm which the forces of the Crown have wreaked in Ireland over the centuries would be a major step in continuing the healing process.
However, that is unlikely to happen. In her entire reign, not only has the Queen never ventured further south in Ireland than the governor’s residence in Hillsborough, she has never uttered one word about her nearest neighbour.
But it’s important to remember she is just a figurehead of the British Government. The British Prime Minister — who actually takes all the decisions about the deployment of the armed forces — and the Taoiseach are in regular contact, sometimes on a more than weekly basis.
It would therefore be extraordinarily contrary for the Irish community in Britain, which has integrated peacefully and profitably here despite the vicissitudes of the past, to object to this visit.
Glastonbury glee
IT’S HARD to know what the biggest surprise at Glastonbury was this year — the sun shining, the Edge appearing without Bono, or Prince Charles bumping into former Sinn Féin director of publicity Danny Morrison. Prince Charles asked him how the camping was going.
Whether Prince Charles knew who he was talking to is unclear.
But let’s just hope when the Finsbury Park Fleadh revives later this year we can have equally momentous events. Or at the very least, some decent weather.