Queen makes history with ex-IRA leader handshake
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II shakes hands Wednesday with former IRA commander Martin McGuinness.
June 27th, 2012
09:35 AM ET

Queen makes history with ex-IRA leader handshake

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (CNN) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II shook hands Wednesday with former IRA commander Martin McGuinness in a historic gesture marking a giant step forward in the peace process around British rule of Northern Ireland.

The handshake comes 14 years after the end of a conflict that claimed about 3,500 lives, including that of the queen's cousin Lord Louis Mountbatten in an IRA bombing.

McGuinness spoke to the queen in Irish as they clasped hands and made eye contact for several seconds in the ground-breaking event.

"Goodbye and godspeed," McGuinness then said, translating his comment for the queen. She smiled throughout the encounter but did not speak.

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Filed under: Ireland • Queen Elizabeth II • United Kingdom
soundoff (8 Responses)
  1. Rascal Rabble

    who cares...europeans have long memories and hold grudges...if they sincerely bury the hatchet...people can continue to live and enjoy life...now regarding the queen silence i hope commander mcguinness ate and drank someplace neutral lacking the queen's influence...

    June 27, 2012 at 9:49 am | Report abuse |
    • Rascal Rabble

      equally...to give someone a godspeed goodbye sounds more like a curse than a salutation...

      June 27, 2012 at 9:54 am | Report abuse |
  2. saywhat

    The ex-IRA leaders seemed hardly impressed.

    June 27, 2012 at 11:46 am | Report abuse |
  3. bobcat (in a hat)©

    A company, feeling it was time for a shake-up, hires a new CEO. This new boss is determined to rid the company of all slackers. On a tour of the facilities, the CEO notices a guy leaning on a wall. The room is full of workers and he wants to let them know he means business!

    The CEO walks up to the guy and asks, "And how much money do you make a week?"

    A little surprised, the young fellow looks at him and replies, "I make $300.00 a week. Why?"

    The CEO then hands the guy $1,200 in cash and screams, "Here's four weeks pay, now GET OUT and don't come back!"

    Feeling pretty good about his first firing, the CEO looks around the room and asks, "Does anyone want to tell me what that goof-off was doing here?"

    With a sheepish grin, one of the other workers mutters, "Pizza delivery guy from Domino's.

    June 27, 2012 at 1:01 pm | Report abuse |
    • Wiggleworm

      I don't care who ya are, that thar was funny!!!!!

      June 27, 2012 at 8:47 pm | Report abuse |
  4. bobcat (in a hat)©

    A trucker came into a truck stop cafe and placed his order.
    He said, "I want three flat tires, a pair of headlights and a pair
    of running boards." The brand new blonde waitress, not wanting to
    appear stupid, went to the kitchen and said to the cook, "This guy
    out there just ordered three flat tires, a pair of headlights and a
    pair of running boards. What does he think this place is... an auto
    parts store?"
    "No," the cook said. "Three flats tires means three pancakes, a pair
    of headlights is two eggs sunny side up, and running boards are 2
    slices crisp bacon."

    "Oh, OK!" said the blonde. She thought about it for a moment and
    then spooned up a bowl of beans and gave it to the customer.
    The trucker asked, "What are the beans for, Blondie?"
    She replied, "I thought while you were waiting for the flat tires,
    headlights and running boards, you might want to gas up!

    June 27, 2012 at 2:41 pm | Report abuse |
  5. chrissy

    lmao @ bobcat, funny. And todays lesson – brought to you by bobcat, never make assumptions! Roflmao!

    June 27, 2012 at 8:44 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Is that right?

    Can somebody tell me? What did this lady do to become a so~called queen. I mean who is she, And where in the hell is the king

    June 28, 2012 at 12:45 am | Report abuse |
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