Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to make a two-day visit to the North next Wednesday and ten thousand free tickets to attend a special celebration of her Diamond Jubilee at Stormont were snapped up in six minutes on Tuesday.
The popularity of the impending visit has already seen an additional 10,000 tickets distributed to invited guests that include youth organisations and the health sector.
But not everyone is happy. According to the Irish Independent there have been complaints from disappointed members of the public, particularly when they learned that hundreds of tickets had already been allocated to politicians.
Responding to the controversy the Northern Ireland Office said in a statement: 'We welcome the interest in the Queen's visit and the Diamond Jubilee celebration in the grounds of the Stormont estate in Belfast.
'Ten thousand tickets were offered free of charge this morning and were taken up in six minutes. Tickets were limited to five per person to allow as many families as possible to attend.
'We recognise a number of people may be disappointed, and we are examining with the Stormont estate authorities and the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) whether there is scope for any additional allocation of tickets, but there will be health and safety constraints.'
The Queen is scheduled to visit Belfast and Enniskillen (the town that saw a major loss of life when dissident Republicans set off a massive car bomb there in August 1998) but the Stormont event has attracted the most publicity.
Leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice Party Jim Allister scoffed when he learned that members of the Northern Ireland Assembly were each entitled to at least four tickets. He told the Irish Independent: 'The distribution of tickets for this event should not be an occasion for patronage by politicians.'
Meanwhile members of the nationalist SDLP reportedly advised its elected representatives to apply for their allocation of tickets to pass them on to members of Stormont staff who may wish to attend the celebration.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Bythebay | Jun 27, 2012, 01:51 PM EDT
At least 25,000 people are at the reception for the Queen today at Stormont. She arrived in an open top car and was greeted enthusiastically by thousands waving Union Jacks. Certainly is one of the largest outpourings she's received in Northern Ireland UK.
Bythebay | Jun 27, 2012, 01:50 PM EDT
seanomelb, can't rewrite anything because he didn't finish primary school, left Ireland in haste to become an Aussie Brit 50 years ago.
IrelandNorth | Jun 27, 2012, 07:12 AM EDT
The King James version of the Holy Bible states: "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself!" Free Presbyterian serial posters might guard against Irish-America catching a glimpse of the entrenched Afrikaner/Boerish mentality of Ulster unionism/British loyalism which was the ideological catalyst/powder keg igniter of the Troubles for so long. The war is over BTB. Hug a Fenian today! PS E-Bay are retailing tickets for EIIR's Stormont gig for €1,916.
seanomelb | Jun 23, 2012, 09:25 PM EDT
The release of the 2011 census in Australia show that 25% of the population was born overseas and the country is gradually becoming "Asianised". Catholicism is the largest single religion and 39% do not profess any religion.
RedBranch | Jun 22, 2012, 12:59 PM EDT
We'll add to the citizen that landowners in England are obliged to allow and maintain an extensive system of footpaths and bridleways to criss-cross their land, in some cases going right by their back doors. Don't get me wrong I know the States is the richest, biggest etc. but a lot of those 2/3 bedroom ranches down on the Cape from the 50s. & 60s. come in at around 1100 sq ft. snug enough for a family of 4 or more.
citizen69 | Jun 22, 2012, 08:13 AM EDT
@bunkerhill: It's not medieval times now. I think you ave been watching too much 'Game Of Thrones'. It is the Queen who serves the country, not the other way around. She works tirelessly for the UK, home & abroad, with over 430 royal engagements per year. As well as that there are daily duties of meetings with her private secretaries, government ministers, receiving foreign dignitaries and presenting Investitures. Not bad for a woman of 86 years old. She could have abdicated 20 years ago and lived a retirement of leisure but sees her reign as a life-long duty to the country. The Queen brings in a lot more money for the UK than she receives from the public purse. As for equality, well the US is one of the most unequal countries in the world. According to the CIA-recognized Gini index, when it comes to income inequality the USA ranks below both Russia & China and is well behind even the worst western European country (Portugal).
ciaradexy | Jun 22, 2012, 07:28 AM EDT
SAirish, the US was a non white country until whites raped it so its going full circle!
RedBranch | Jun 22, 2012, 05:04 AM EDT
10,000 tickets in six minutes, presumably they could have given out as many again. That the equivalant of a military division wanting to see HM. What oh what are the republicans to do with them?
SAirish | Jun 22, 2012, 02:47 AM EDT
Bunkerhill, you forgot to mention that last year in the US, there were more non-white births than white births and that very soon the US will become a non-white country like Brazil. The English founding fathers of the USA must be rolling in their graves. In the UK, 91% of the population is white. No wonder the USA has a black President.
seanomelb | Jun 21, 2012, 07:24 PM EDT
Bythebay rewrites history in his own ignorant image.
Bythebay | Jun 21, 2012, 05:50 PM EDT
IrelandNorth, an "early bird" ticket purcher to see her Queen.
Bythebay | Jun 21, 2012, 03:33 PM EDT
The people of Northern Ireland have no problem deciding to meet the Queen, all tickets sold. Martin McGuinness still can't make up his mind nor can his party.
Bythebay | Jun 21, 2012, 03:31 PM EDT
bunkerhill, your President spent 35,000 for his holiday on Martha's Vineyard, Romney lives on an estate in California, your wealthiest pay the lowest taxes. No you're not equal at all.
Bythebay | Jun 21, 2012, 03:28 PM EDT
bunkerhill, you learn your history from the House and Garden Channel in the US? No wonder it's misinformed.
Bythebay | Jun 21, 2012, 03:02 PM EDT
seanomelb, right back at you with your Australian Brit bullsh#t. Another IRA Provo terrorist lie, just as McGuinness denied being an IRA Provo Terrorist for years until recently. You're ignorant. The IRA Provo Terrorists bombed Omagh months after the so-called Good Friday Agreement when they were all released from jail. They're murderers.
Bythebay | Jun 21, 2012, 02:58 PM EDT
pilib04, the IRA Provo Terrorists were involved in the Omagh Bombing. Martin McGuinness for years lied and claimed he wasn't an IRA Provo Terrorists, only recently has he recanted that and admitted his terrorist activities.
IrelandNorth | Jun 21, 2012, 08:26 AM EDT
Tickets for this gig should have been either limited to 32 - 320 - 3,200 - 32,000 - 3,200,000 etc. Or why not issue c6m for the whole population of the island. I'm donating mine to Bythebay to put him out of his misery. Might stop him from frothing at the mouth for one day at least. She's a hard act to boook. Even Las Vegas can't book Her.
pilib04 | Jun 20, 2012, 07:56 PM EDT
Bythebay, the IRA were not involved in the Omagh bombing. But the British government was involved in the Mongaghan-Dublin bombing which was the single largest kill during the war. Of course you knew that.
seanomelb | Jun 20, 2012, 07:29 PM EDT
bythebay and his bullsh#t the Omagh bombing was the work of the RIRA not the provisional IRA. Tried to sell my ticket on the black market was offered 20 pence.
seamus60 | Jun 20, 2012, 06:54 PM EDT
WHAT. SF bought the lot ?
bunkerhill | Jun 20, 2012, 06:03 PM EDT
I will thank God every day that I am an American. We are "equals" to the royals and feel so much sympathy for the lowly "commoners" of England whom our House and Garden Channel has identied as living in the smallest space of any Europeans, 786 sq ft if I remember correctly. House and Garden also mentioned the castles are usually surrounded by forty thousand acres which is untouchable to any "commoner." You commoners need a brain examination. What is wrong with your mindset. I'll bet this post will not go through. The "commoners" are like groveling, trained puppies. There is no hope for you.
Bythebay | Jun 20, 2012, 11:56 AM EDT
Pathetic misinformation again from Irish Central - the Enniskilloen IRA Provo Terrorist bombing or Poppy Day Massacure took place on November 8 1987 in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. The Omagh Bombing by the IRA Provo Terrorists was on August 15, 1998, in Omagh, County Tyrone after the Good Friday Agreement. Both targeted innocent civilians.