Prince William Tries His Hand at Juggling as the Royal Tour of Ireland Heads to Galway
Prince William and Kate are experiencing “a taste of modern and traditional Irish culture” today as they spend the third day of their tour on Ireland’s west coast.
The couple’s first stop was to restaurant and bar venue the Tribeton in Galway where they were treated to performances from local entertainers. Prince William even got in on the fun, trying his hand at juggling.
The couple arrived around an hour late for the event due to their helicopter from Dublin taking off later than planned, and Kate chose a green dress by British designer Suzannah for the final day of their visit.
Galway is hosting the European Capital of Culture in 2020 on behalf of Ireland by holding 1,900 events across 150 projects throughout the year. The city is currently decked out with Galway 2020 bunting, and one shop had even mocked up a photograph of Kate wearing a Galway Girl T-shirt alongside a message saying: “Welcome William & Kate.”
Kensington Palace has described how on this leg of the visit the couple will “have the opportunity to experience a taste of modern and traditional Irish culture for themselves.” Later today, they will stop by traditional family-owned pub Tig Coili to meet local people who volunteer to promote the city.
They will then carry out their only walkabout of the tour, meeting the public on the street outside where large crowds have gathered to greet them. Security was tight this morning in the streets the royals were due to walk down, with the Gardai (the Irish police force) checking people’s bags as they arrived.
William and Kate’s final stop of the day, and the final engagement of the tour, will be a trip to a local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club to learn about traditional sports played across Ireland including hurling and Gaelic football. The GAA has more than 2,200 clubs across the country.
William said last night that he hoped the visit will be the “first of many visits for us.” In a keynote speech at the Museum of Literature Ireland he spoke about the relationship between the UK and Ireland, saying: “It is right that we continue to remember those who suffered as a consequence of our troubled past. And whilst many wrongs have been done, it is important that we are not bound by these.”
He also said about the future, “Of course, the changing relationship between the UK and the EU will require us to work together, to ensure that the relationship between Ireland and the UK remains just as strong.”
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