Penrose recalls Queen Elizabeth's 'significant' 2011 state visit

The significance of the late Queen Elizabeth's state visit to Ireland in 2011 can't be overstated, according to former government minister from Westmeath who met her during the historic trip.

Former Labour TD and Minister of State for Housing Willie Penrose has fond memories of meeting the late Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday, and her late husband Prince Philip when she was introduced to the cabinet [he was a 'super junior' minister at the time with a seat at the cabinet] when she visited Government Buildings in May 2011.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner today, Mr Penrose said that he was impressed with the late queen and her husband's knowledge of Ireland.

“We were all introduced individually to the queen and Prince Philip by the taoiseach. We had maybe 30 or 40 seconds of an exchange.

“She asked me about housing. She was aware of the housing situation and asked about what the big issues were. At that time there were a huge number of what were termed ghost estates, but I called them unfinished housing developments [when speaking to her].

“Prince Philip was talking about architects and architecture...”

Both the Queen and Prince Philip owned horses and were big fans of horse-racing, a sport that Mr Penrose has a big interest in as well. He was impressed when Philip spoke about the Cork origins of point to point racing and his wife's love of horses.

“You could see he was full of fun. She was very nice and there was no major pomp or ceremony. She had time for everybody.”

Willie says that Queen Elizabeth's state visit to Ireland, the first by a British monarch since the country gained independence, was a hugely significant chapter in relations between Ireland and the UK.

“It was such an important occasion, the queen coming to Ireland on a state visit. It was building on the Good Friday Agreement and all that was achieved.

“It helped foster the very strong relationship between two neighbours, notwithstanding the historical difficulties. She went to the Garden of Remembrance and other places, and her speech in Dublin Castle was a key moment.”

In her speech, she said: “It is a sad and regrettable reality that through history our islands have experienced more than their fair share of heartache, turbulence and loss” and that “with the benefit of historical hindsight we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently or not at all”.

Describing her speech as “seminal”, Mr Penrose says that it went a lot further than many expected.

“She addressed and confronted significant issues. She seemed determined and she made a statement from the time she arrived by wearing green.

“She was a great woman for the symbols and signals. You don't have to be royalist, and most Ireland people aren't, to acknowledge her long life and her seven decades performing her royal duties. She was obviously dedicated to duty and service, I don't think there is any doubt about that.”