Cathaoirleach sends condolences on death of Queen Elizabeth II

The Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council has expressed his sorrow at the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The 96 year old died last Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Messages of condolence have been passed to King Charles III and the extended Royal Family, including from here in Ireland.

Cathaoirleach John Paul Feeley said her death “marks the end of an era”.

“Her dignified presence on the world stage has been a constant over seven decades, a period during which she witnessed transformative change across the globe.

“In Ireland we remember, in particular, her contribution to building peace and understanding between the different traditions in our country in recent years.

“A family has also lost a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, one who had lived a long and extraordinary life. I hope that the Christian faith which she so strongly professed will be a source of comfort and strength to them at this difficult time.”

He expressed his condolences to her family on behalf of the people of County Cavan.

President Michael D Higgins noted her “exceptional dignity” and “personal commitment to her role”.

“As President of Ireland, I recall the exceptional hospitality afforded to Sabina and myself by the Queen and the late Prince Philip on our four day State Visit to Britain in 2014. Together we celebrated the deeply personal interconnection between the Irish and British people, a connection embodied by the hundreds of thousands of families who have moved between our shores over the centuries.”

The President, his wife Sabina, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney are all attending a service in Belfast in memory of the late Queen as we go to print.

An online book of condolence has been opened by Cavan County Council.