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Sat 05 May 2011Memories of a historic royal visit
* Her majesty’s lovely cúpla focal at the start of her speech at Dublin Castle. The word from palace sources is that they were included at Queen Elizabeth’s suggestion.
* The entire foreign and Irish press corps in the media centre watching the queen and the duke of Edinburgh contemplating a pint of stout in the Gravity Bar. She shrank back from the glass while he stared longingly at it. The hacks worked themselves into a frenzy, willing him to pick up the glass and yelling: “Go on, go on, go on: drink it!” When the duke tore himself away without a sip, the hacks collapsed in a disappointed heap, in the manner of soccer fans when their team misses a penalty.
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