It really seemed to be one of those catchphrases in the run up to the visit. The visit would lead to euro notes growing on trees and coins spewing out tourists arses. Well, having had an English tourist sleeping on my couch for the last few days, I can tell you that the QEII visit was far from “great for tourism.” While he got some cracking shots of Dublin City’s landmarks, most were marred with lines of luminous jackets in front. He got little sleep due to the incessant buzz of the Garda helicopter hovering low across the city, awoken early by Garda spotters / snipers taking postion on the roof above our living room window, and found the welcoming atmosphere of Dublin City somewhat dampened by the presence of 8, 000 Gardai, pockets brimming with overtime cash.
I could bore you with stories of how it took me two hours to get from one side of O’Connell Street to the other, or of getting stopped and searched twice within the space of a minute, or of my flatmate being refused entry to our street, but as they say, a picture paints a thousand words. Cheers to, again, English tourist Alex S for all the snaps.
The view from the window.
Getting directions to the nearest Supermacs
Trying to explain the significance of the building was marred slightly by this unsightly presence
The Beautiful Christchurch Cathedral... And evidence of a police state apparently
And the line continued right around to Jury's too
To the right, we have the excellent Dublinia while right ahead we have... Templemoronia
First time I've seen kettling used in Dublin. Our English comrade on the other hand found it to be "just like home..."
The city of 1,000 welcomes? I ask you. The city of 8, 000 unwelcome, yes.
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
“pockets brimming with overtime cash”
Love it!
Great piece Ci/Alex, cheers!
The whole operation must have been codenamed The Thick Yellow Line. After meeting the “cream” of Irish society including the likes of Bertie Biffo and Kardinal Swear an Oath Brady she probably understands why the country is in such a mess; http://photobucket.com/QueensVisit
tonight watching the late late show and listening to the radio in the last few days the media have been talking about this visit. the way there framing it is amazing. my memory of the day was a week of a couple of thousand gardai in the centre of the city. the day its self i was trying to cross the hapenny bridge from the south side. all foot traffic over all the bridges was closed off untill they got her self down the quay’s and on the o O’Connell st. As they moved her down the quays on the nothside the sound of silence on what is normally a busy part of the city stood out, one or two people out of maybe a thousand waiting cheared, wasn’t enough to pierce the tension. the day she was in Dublin was the anniversary of the Dublin Monaghan bombings. i was going to the eirigi protest at the garden of remembrance SF released a cupple of hundred ballons. i could see them over the sky line as i went down to the protest. i got word that a friend of mine had been arrested on o connell st. guessed he would be taken to store st but the capitals main street was still blocked of so went to walk around it. walked up granby road. the gardai wheren’t letting people down dorset street so walked up st mary’d rd on to mountjoy st and down wellington street as i stepped on to dorset st a bottle smashed from the sky at my feet, i had walk litterally in to the middle of a riot to my right policemen with shields there faces covered to my left rioters with stones there faces covered. i went left. the police charged. i was running as fast as i could on the footpath on the road the gardai were running faster grabbing people and beating them down.
the history of this visit is being re written more than just a nod happened that day. the city was boiling with tension the gardai show of force held it back. what ever people think of obama but when he was here a few days later the city was in a good mood, kids running around with american flags. now that symbolism people may find uncomfortable but it wasn’t false it dosn’t have to be twisted today on the late late show or any other media segment we will get in the next few days reviewing the year.
Protesters were out in force for the Queens visit..