Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will begin their visit to Ireland today – and they are set to have a busy few days.
The newlyweds are making their first foreign trip since getting married last month.
They are scheduled to see several of Dublin’s landmarks which will give them both an insight into Ireland’s history as well as modern Irish culture.
Some of the sites they will visit include the Famine Memorial on the North Quay, Croke Park and Trinity College.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will also have official meetings with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and President Michael D Higgins.
As well as Ireland’s leaders, the couple are also keen to meet members of the public and will take as much time as possible to speak to Irish people.
They are expected to arrive in Ireland this evening (Tues 10 July) and will head to the Department of the Taoiseach on Merrion Street to visit Mr Varadkar.
They will also attend a summer garden party at Glencairn House – the British Ambassador’s headquarters. At the party they will meet Irish people who have excelled in many areas including the arts, sports, military and social enterprise.
Tomorrow morning Meghan and Harry will visit Áras an Uachtaráin – the official residence of the Irish President – where they will have a meeting with Mr Higgins.
Much of the day will be spent learning about Irish history. After their meeting with the President, the couple will go to Trinity College where they will see the historic Book of Kells.
They will also see the Famine Memorial, which is a collection of sculptures by Rowan Gillespie, which depict people suffering the devastating effects of starvation.
The Royals will learn about Irish emigration and the diaspora at the EPIC museum in Dublin’s Docklands. They will also visit the DogPatch Labs and learn about Ireland’s thriving technology industry.
Neville Isdell, founder and chairman of EPIC The Irish Emigration Museumsaid: “It is an honour to be welcoming the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to EPIC.
“We look forward to sharing with them the story of Irish emigration around the globe. Their visit is hugely positive for Dublin and Ireland and we hope millions of people worldwide will get a flavour of Irish culture and history.”
It won’t all be about learning. They couple will attend the Gaelic Sports Festival at Croke Park, where Harry might even try his hand at Hurling.
Paul Kelly of Failte Ireland said: “We are delighted that Megan and Harry have chosen Ireland for their first trip abroad as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and that they are visiting some of Dublin’s brilliant visitor attractions.
“With so much media attention on the trip, all eyes will be on Ireland this week, giving us amazing exposure abroad and highlighting our rich and diverse tourism industry and excellent visitor experiences to an international audience.
“In particular, the coverage from this royal visit will provide a boost to the UK market which has been a challenge in light of Brexit.
“As the national development authority, Failte Ireland will continue to work with tourism businesses throughout the country to ensure that they can fully capitalise on the afterglow of the visit.”
Written by Michael Kehoe @michaelcalling
