Ireland

Charles hoping for frequent visits to Ireland in pursuit of reconciliation

The Prince of Wales tries his hand at hurling as he and the Duchess of Cornwall visit Kilkenny Castle. Picture by Samuel Boal, Press Association
The Prince of Wales tries his hand at hurling as he and the Duchess of Cornwall visit Kilkenny Castle. Picture by Samuel Boal, Press Association The Prince of Wales tries his hand at hurling as he and the Duchess of Cornwall visit Kilkenny Castle. Picture by Samuel Boal, Press Association

THE Prince of Wales has declared his desire to deepen reconciliation between Britain and Ireland.

As Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall enjoyed their third trip to the Republic in as many years, he said he hopes to keep coming back until the day he dies.

Thousands of well-wishers lined the streets of Kilkenny as the prince addressed scores of invited guests in the Great Hall in the city's castle and spoke of growing relations between the two countries, even with Brexit on the horizon.

"Coming to Ireland gives us the opportunity, I hope, just to remind everyone of the enormous strength and warmth of the relation between our countries," Charles said.

"It is a very special relationship and I have every intention of making it even more special if I possibly can and to also build on the most important aspect of all which is reconciliation."

Charles praised President Michael D Higgins, adding he had done "so much in that regard".

Charles's itinerary today includes a visit to Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin where he will pay respects to the dead of the First World War and those who died fighting in the 1916 Easter Rising.

The Republic's Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan praised this aspect of the royal trip.

"This act of respectful memory represents a further enhancement of relations between our two countries as close friends and neighbours, even as both seek to manage contemporary challenges in changing times," he said.

The visit is part of a four-day trip to the north and the Republic.

On Wednesday the royal couple met Mr Higgins and his wife Sabina Coyne after visiting a PSNI memorial in Belfast and taking a tour of Dromore, Co Down.

On Tuesday they travelled to the HomePlace visitor centre dedicated to the late Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney.

In one of yesterday's lighter moments, the prince and duchess got an exhibition in hurling from Kilkenny star Henry Shefflin, or King Henry as he is better known.

The legendary hurler, who has 10 All-Ireland Championship titles to his name, demonstrated the art of the sport before passing over the hurley for the prince to score a goal.

"He kept it low into the bottom of the net," Shefflin said.

"His first question was how hard can you hit it. Like anyone they want to see how hard you can hit it.

"But for the first go it was very very good."

With the renowned Kilkenny hurling manager Brian Cody keeping a watchful eye, Shefflin quipped: "Maybe if he was back here a few years ago Brian would have signed him up at some stage.

"It's a great occasion. It's just a sign of the times."

Outside the castle the royal couple spent time shaking hands with locals and toured a farmers' market.

Later, he became the first member of the royal family to visit the Curragh Camp army base since it was handed over to the Irish state in 1922.

He walked in the footsteps of his great-great-grandfather, King Edward VII, who underwent military training at the Curragh in 1861.

It is currently the main training centre for the Irish Army and is home to 2,000 military personnel.

The prince met several veterans who served in Sierra Leone during the Ebola crisis and aircrew from the Air Corps Emergency Helicopter.