Bomb scare precedes royal visit to Ireland

The Irish Army has confirmed that an improvised explosive device was found on a bus outside Dublin the night before Queen Elizabeth II’s historic visit. The bomb was discovered late Monday night at a bus stop on the outskirts of Maynooth, about 30 kilometres west of Dublin. According to an Irish military spokesman, a controlled detonation was carried out early Tuesday morning and the area was declared safe by 1:55 a.m. GMT. While Irish president Mary McAleese calls the Queen’s visit “a phenomenal sign of the peace process” with neighbouring Great Britain, there is also strong anti-monarchist opposition. Earlier on Monday, Irish republican dissidents reportedly made a bomb threat, disrupting traffic in the capital city. The visit to Ireland carries a security price tag of over $40 million, with land, air and sea patrols in place to protect the Queen and her husband, Prince Phillip. This is the first time a British monarch has visited the independent Republic of Ireland, a milestone many see as a positive step forward in the relationship of the two countries.

The Guardian