Queen's visit to Cork commemorated

Exactly ten years on from the historic visit of Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh to Cork, the English Market and Cork City Council have unveiled a specially curated photographic exhibition, featuring archive photos of the royal visit.

The exhibition is located at the entrance to the Market on Grand Parade.

In addition, as a ‘virtual gift’ to those who cannot make it into the city to view the photographic exhibition, Cork City Council and the English Market have commissioned a commemorative video featuring An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Paul Johnston, British Ambassador to Ireland, Michael O Connell, former Lord Mayor of Cork, Pat O’Connell of K O’Connell Fish Merchants, Sheila Fitzpatrick of Alternative Bread Company and Tom Durcan of Tom Durcan Meats, sharing memorable accounts from the day and what it meant for the people of Cork and for Ireland as a country.

"We are very proud to unveil this new photographic exhibition and very special video, to commemorate this very special day," Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Joe Kavanagh said.

"The State visit was a significant moment for Anglo-Irish relations and was a real moment in history for the people of Cork. As the city begins to re-open, we hope that people enjoy reminiscing, looking through the extensive archive of photos and re-living the memories shared through the video piece. 

"A special thank you to RTÉ, The Irish Examiner and The Echo for donating the imagery and footage from this monumental day and to all those who took part and shared their stories."

The Queen and her late husband's visit to Cork city marked the final stop in their State visit to Ireland - a momentous occasion for the country.

As part of their tour of the English Market, the Queen unveiled a plaque commemorating her visit near the fountain in the Market and was presented with a specially commissioned silver brooch by the Lord Mayor of Cork at the time, Michael O’Connell and the former Lady Mayoress of Cork, Catherine O’Connell. 

The Queen and her late husband were also presented with a gift hamper of local Irish produce packed with a variety of artisan food products, that showcased the very best of produce from the English Market.

To view the commemorative video, click here.