LONDON, June 23 (Reuters) - Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen invited Queen Elizabeth to visit Dublin, saying improvements in bilateral relations had opened the way for a first trip to the republic by a British monarch.
The island of Ireland, previously ruled by Britain, was split in the 1920s into a Free State comprising 26 counties while 6 counties remained part of the United Kingdom. The Free State later became the Republic of Ireland and the northern counties became Northern Ireland.
A conflict between mainly Catholic militants fighting for a united Ireland and predominantly Protestant groups backing Northern Ireland’s union with Britain killed 3,600 people, in the last three decades of the 20th century.
A peace agreement in 1998 largely ended the violence and the British and Irish governments now closely cooperate to suppress militant activity which has intensified again since last year. "No obstacle now exists … for those normal courtesies of friendly neighbouring states exchanging visits through heads of state," Cowen told Irish national television RTE after meeting his British counterpart David Cameron in London.
"I think that would be a good development," Cowen said of a visit by the Queen. "It’s timely now that we move on in this relationship."
Cowen said the visit might be before the end of Irish President Mary McAleese’s term in office at the end of 2011.
A Buckingham Palace source said they do not comment on the Queen’s travel plans in advance.
All mainstream Irish parties support the peace process but some nationalist groups declared their opposition to such a visit by Queen Elizabeth.
"Sinn Fein opposes the proposed state visit of the Queen of England, Commander-in-Chief of the British armed forces," said the party which is a small opposition force in the republic’s parliament and a joint leader of Northern Ireland’s regional executive.
"Until there is complete withdrawal of the British military and the British administration from Ireland … no official welcome should be accorded to any officer of the British armed forces of any rank," Caoimhghin O Caolain, the leader of Sinn Fein deputies in the lower house in Dublin, said in a statement.
