Queen in walkabout at end of historic Irish visit

Some 25,000 people lined the streets of Cork, cheering and waving the county’s colours, as the monarch set off on a spur-of-the-moment meet-and-greet, despite intense security fears.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny seized the chance to repay the Queen’s personal touch by inviting her and the Duke of Edinburgh to return, just as they boarded a plane home. Buckingham Palace and Irish Government aides have been highly impressed by the success of the four-day trip, which has seen repeated and deeply poignant moves towards reconciliation.

A palace insider summed up its hugely historic importance: “In the Queen’s reign it will go down as one of the most significant.”

The Cork walkabout was the only opportunity the Queen has had to meet “ordinary” people during the visit.

A similar unscheduled stop in Dublin earlier this week was never on the cards, with huge swathes of the capital under lockdown amid fears of a dissident terrorist attack and threats of street violence. But in Cork, the protest of about 350 hard-line republicans was dwarfed by the tens of thousands lining the Queen’s route through the city.

Aides revealed the Queen had wanted to get close to the waiting crowds, and made the last minute-decision to break from a tightly-guarded schedule herself.

“She’s been very touched by the warmth and generosity of the Irish people,” a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said.

“We can only thank the President Mary McAleese and the Irish people for the warmth they have shown.”