Britain’s Queen ends triumphant trip to Ireland

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has left Ireland after an historic visit widely hailed as a diplomatic triumph.

Earlier, she and Prince Philip visited the ancient Rock of Cashel in Tipperary, a major tourist site. It was a relaxing end to a four day trip seen as heralding a bright new era in Anglo-Irish relations.

The turbulence and bloodshed of the past was not ignored by the Queen, far from it. She visited a sports stadium where British troops shot 14 civilians dead in 1920.

And, in one of the most memorable speeches of her nearly 60-year reign, she expressed regret for the centuries of conflict between the two nations.

While stopping short of an apology, it was a powerful gesture of reconciliation that many will see as a concluding chapter in the peace process.

Copyright © 2012 euronews