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Queen Elizabeth Visits Irish Massacre Site

LONDON — On the second day of a visit to the Irish Republic, Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday visited the site of a massacre more than 90 years ago that still evokes memories of fierce hostilities between Ireland and Britain.

The queen’s visit, the first to Ireland by a reigning British monarch since the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922, has been heavy on both symbolism and security, with thousands of police officers mobilized to protect the queen and with streets cordoned off, restricting access to her.

When she arrived, the queen, 85, was wearing an outfit in the Irish color of emerald green, signaling what British and Irish officials have depicted as a mood of reconciliation between countries that fought a bitter independence war.

On Tuesday, the monarch laid a wreath and, unusually, bowed her head at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin that is dedicated to those who fought against British rule. On Wednesday, in an additional act of reconciliation, the queen visited the Croke Park stadium, where British soldiers shot and killed 14 people in 1920 apparently in reprisal for the killing of 14 British military personnel....

Read entire article at NYT