Overview
- Connolly, who met the King on Monday at Buckingham Palace, said he accepted her invitation to make a state visit to Ireland.
- Officials from both governments will agree dates and plans, with Irish reporting indicating the trip is unlikely in 2026 because Ireland takes on the EU presidency in July.
- The palace audience was photographed, lasted just under an hour, and Connolly described it as wonderful.
- The meeting came during day one of a three‑day tour of London and Leeds centered on Irish community groups, including the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith and the London Irish Centre in Camden.
- If scheduled, the visit would be only the second by a British monarch to independent Ireland, the first being Queen Elizabeth II’s state visit in 2011.