Prince William and Kate Middleton arrive for evening engagement at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have arrived at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin to toast the end of their first day in Ireland.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are attending an evening engagement at the Gravity Bar – a glass room at the top of the building which offers panoramic views of the city.  

The couple are due to meet a range of people from the creative arts, sport, business and charity sectors at the major visitor attraction in the Irish capital which tells the story of the famous drink.

They are following in the footsteps of the Queen who visited Ireland’s top attraction a number of years ago. They were greeted by the British Ambassador Robin Barrett who is hosting the party. 

Kate wore a £1,595 glittering emerald gown by trendy designer The Vampire’s Wife for the first evening reception of the historic three-day visit to the country. 

The couple were welcomed to Ireland today by President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina, who said: ‘Delighted to welcome you. You’ve had lots of exciting things happening in your family.’ 

Prince William and Kate began their first official visit to Ireland for a post-Brexit charm offensive as they also laid a wreath reading ‘May we never forget the lessons of history’ at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin.

The couple received a round of applause in the garden, which is dedicated to those who fought for Irish independence, as members of the crowd cheered ‘welcome to Ireland’ and Kate smiled and waved back at them. 

They then attended a short ceremony at the site, where in 2011 the Queen laid a wreath in a significant gesture for Anglo-Irish relations.

Kate and William were greeted by Mr and Mrs Higgins at their official residence before enjoying refreshments including Barry’s tea, shamrock shortbread, oat biscuits and lemon drizzle cake – made by the in-house chef.

The duchess looked stylish in an emerald green Catherine Walker coat, an Alessandra Rich dress and £17,300 Asprey London daisy heritage earrings, as she and William walked through the grounds of the Aras an Uachtarain while joking and smiling with their hosts. 

Walking with the President’s Burmese mountain dog, Brod, they gonged the Peace Bell, which commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, before viewing the The People’s Acorn by artist Rachel Joynt, which was unveiled as part of the State 1916 centenary commemorations. 

The duke and duchess later met the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and his partner Dr Matt Barrett during which William joked about whether he should put in his postcode as he signed the visitors’ book at Dublin’s Government buildings. 

Earlier, the couple flew to Dublin Airport on a commercial Aer Lingus flight with dozens of residents returning home, business travellers and tourists. In brilliant winter sunshine they walked down the aircraft’s steps and were greeted by a small group of dignitaries led by Britain’s Ambassador to Ireland Robin Barnett.  

The couple will return to the UK on Friday, meaning they will miss Prince Harry’s Endeavour Fund Awards in London, which the Duke of Sussex will be attending with Meghan Markle, as the couple prepare to step down as senior royals at the end of March. William attended the inaugural ceremony in 2017 but has not been for several years. 

The two couples will then be reunited for the first time since Megxit for the Commonwealth Day service in London on March 9, which will be broadcast live on BBC One and across the BBC World Service.  

At his official residence, President Michael D Higgins invited the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to sign the Distinguished Visitors’ Book.

The royal couple also spent some time with Mr Higgins in the President’s Study before the bilateral meeting in the Drawing Room.

During the meeting, Mr Higgins was joined by his wife Sabina, Mr O’Leary, the Irish Ambassador to the UK Adrian O’Neill and Claire Power, the president’s adviser.

Kate and Will were joined by the British Ambassador to Ireland Robin Barnett and Simon Case, the Duke of Cambridge’s private secretary. 

Mr Higgins and his wife Sabina accompanied Kate and Will to the Peace Bell.

The president explained to the couple that the bell was unveiled in 2008 by then president Mary McAleese to mark the tenth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The bell, dating back to the 19th century, is supported by two oak trunks which came from Shane’s Castle Demesne in Co Antrim and from the Glencairn area in Co Dublin.

The couple then rang the Bell.

Mr Higgins also pointed out the sculpture The People’s Acorn by artist Rachel Joynt, which was unveiled as part of the State 1916 centenary commemorations.

One of the president’s dogs, Brod, also accompanied them.

During their discussions, the royal couple spoke about Brexit and the challenges of climate change.

A spokesman for Mr Higgins said: ‘The couples discussed the close ties between the people of Ireland and Britain and the importance of continuing and deepening close relations between all of the peoples of these islands.

‘President Higgins, Sabina and their Royal Highnesses spoke of the challenges ahead, including the implications of the UK’s departure from the European Union and the importance of continuing to build on the foundations of the Good Friday Agreement.

‘They also discussed the global challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss and the urgent need to revisit the fundamentals of how we organise our economies and societies if we are to tackle these existential threats in a meaningful way.

‘The importance of removing obstacles that inhibit young people from building their skills and realising their aspirations for a truly fair and sustainable world, and the particular importance of responding to the vulnerabilities of young people was among the other topics discussed.’

When William and Kate arrived at the Garden of Remembrance they walked along the edge of the open space’s large pool, created in the shape of a non-denominational cross designed to be inclusive of all religions and creeds.

Crowds had gathered along the perimeter fence and a cheer came up when the couple were spotted by the spectators who had been waiting patiently for more than an hour.

The garden was designed by Daithi Hanly and the section where the wreath laying took place featured a large sculpture by Oisin Kelly, based on the theme of the Children of Lir, the Irish story about four children turned into swans by their stepmother jealous of their father’s love.

The floral tribute was laid at the base of the towering artwork by two servicemen and the couple stood in contemplative silence for a minute, eyes fixed on the wreath.

On arrival, the Duke and Duchess signed the visitor’s book, using a table commissioned by Ireland’s Office of Public Works especially for the monarch’s visit, before posing for photographs. 

After a few moments of smiling to the tune of a barrage of camera clicks, the Duchess laughed and turned her hands to the sky as if to say, is that enough? The Duke joked: ‘Who blinks first?’

The couple then went for a ‘tete-a-tete’ in the President’s private office before sitting down for afternoon tea in the Drawing Room with Mr and Mrs Higgins, the British Ambassador to Ireland Robin Barnett, the Irish Ambassador to the UK Adrian O’Neill, and the Duke’s private secretary Simon Case.

The group enjoyed Irish-themed refreshments including Barry’s tea, shamrock shortbread, oat biscuits and lemon drizzle cake – made by the in-house chef.

As the media was briefly given access to record the occasion, Mr Case joked that the camera clicks would be the ‘soundtrack’ to the visit, making the Duchess laugh.

Mr Higgins spoke to the Duke about football, telling him: ‘I was watching your celebration of Aston Villa’s goal.’

The group then stepped outside to meet the dog and take a slow walk alongside the property, with Mrs Higgins linking arms with the Duchess.

The Cambridges then joined forces to ring a peace bell, installed in the garden of the grand 18th-century house in 2008, to mark the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement.

They held the gold rope together, pulling it three times before being given a clap.

Before heading back inside, they were told about a 1916 commemorative installation in the garden, which Mr and Mrs Higgins had commissioned in 2015.

The winning design, The People’s Acorn by Rachel Joynt, uses the symbolism of an Acorn’s journey to commemorate the past events of the 1916 Rising and celebrate the potential of Ireland’s future. The sculpture contains a time capsule containing the writings of young and old people with their thoughts and wishes for Ireland’s future.

The Duchess told Mrs Higgins: ‘That’s lovely isn’t it. How long as it been here?’

She added: ‘We’ve been chatting recently actually, kids have got so many aspirations. Can we help them reach them? It’s a case if joining the dots.’

Mr Higgins was elected President in November 2011.

He first met the Duke of Cambridge in June 2014 in Mons for a commemoration of the start of the First World War’s western front.

The pair met again two years later at the commemoration of the Battle of the Somme.

In April 2014, Mr Higgins became the first Irish head of state to make a state visit to the UK, describing it as ‘very important for the relationships between the people of Ireland and UK’.

He was escorted by the Prince of Wales to Windsor Castle, where he received a ceremonial welcome and was met by the monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh. 

The visit had been made possible by the Queen’s historic trip to Ireland three years earlier, when she brought a century of Anglo–Irish tension to an end – the first British monarch to set foot in the Republic.

Later the Duke of Cambridge joked with the Irish Taoiseach about whether he should put in his postcode as he signed the visitors’ book at Dublin’s Government buildings.

The duke and duchess met Leo Varadkar and his partner Dr Matt Barrett as they paid a formal call on the Irish leader as he limps on in office despite coming third in last month’s election.

Dr Varadkar is a caretaker Taoiseach after his Fine Gael party came third in last month’s Irish elections in which Sinn Fein secured the largest share of the popular vote.

While Fine Gael and the centrist opposition Fianna Fáil have had preliminary talks, they are still a long way off an agreement to form a coalition government. Political observers in Dublin believe the stalemate could continue until at least the end of April.

As the duke and duchess prepared to go into Dr Varadkar’s office, the duke joked with his staff that the couple had ‘brought some sunshine’ and asked if they had been suffering from floods. 

Inside the office, which is dominated by a portrait of the Irish republican leader Michael Collins, Dr Varadkar escorted William to the visitors’ book and said: ‘It’s in Irish, but date, name and address.’

William said with a smile: ‘Shall I put my address down as well?’

Dr Varadkar joked that he should include his postcode, and William replied: ‘Exactly!’ 

The duchess was particularly interested in a sculpture outside the office, a scale replica of the statue in the Garden of Remembrance which depicts the legend of the Children of Lir, who were turned into swans by their stepmother.

Dr Barrett told her about the legend, and explained how his family home in Mayo is linked to the story through the lakes where the children spent part of their banishment.

Their meeting with Mr Varadkar ran over by at least ten minutes, suggesting that despite initial awkwardness the two couples had found plenty to talk about. As they stood on the steps of the building preparing to leave, William and Kate spent several minutes continuing to talk to Dr Varadkar and his partner.

Mr Varadkar later tweeted: ‘It was a pleasure to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Government Buildings this afternoon as part of their visit to Ireland.’ 

Later, William and Kate are expected to sample a pint of Guinness while meeting leading figures from Irish life. 

At the Gravity Bar in the Guinness Storehouse – a major visitor attraction in the Irish capital telling the story of the famous drink – the couple are due to meet a range of people from the creative arts, sport, business and charity sectors. 

The couple will meet a range of people from the creative arts, sport, business and charity sectors, before having a session with Master Brewer Fergal Murray, who will take them through the process of making the stout and how to pour the perfect pint.  

During the first day of their tour the Cambridges will also lay a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance. The quiet open space is dedicated to those who rose up against British rule in 1916 and gave their lives for Irish independence.

The quiet open space is dedicated to those who rose up against British rule in 1916 and gave their lives for Irish independence. 

When the Queen made her historic visit to Ireland in 2011 – the first by a British monarch since the nation gained independence from Britain – she bowed her head during a visit to the garden as a mark of respect for those who died, a hugely symbolic moment.  

The visit will highlight the strong links between the UK and Ireland, and the couple’s programme will take in community initiatives and spectacular scenery, the palace said in a statement.

The statement added: ‘Following Her Majesty the Queen’s historic visit in 2011, the visit will also focus on the relationship between the two countries, and build on the theme of remembrance and reconciliation.’

It also said: ‘The UK’s links with Ireland are extensive, and the duke and duchess are looking forward to building a lasting friendship with the Irish people.’ 

The Queen’s historic visit to the Irish Republic was made amid unprecedented security, as she became the first British monarch to travel there in 100 years and the first since the nation gained independence from Britain. 

She bowed her head in Dublin’s Garden of Remembrance to pay tribute to the rebels who rose up against British rule in 1916, spoke Irish in an address to a state banquet and visited Croke Park Stadium, where British forces shot dead 14 spectators at a Gaelic football match in 1920. 

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have made five visits to Ireland over the past five years, a sign of the closer Anglo-Irish relations ushered in by the Queen’s tour. 

The statement added: ‘During the three-day tour, the duke and duchess will learn about local organisations working to support and empower young people and projects which provide opportunities to help them develop important life skills.

‘Their Royal Highnesses will also hear more about Ireland’s conservation initiatives and efforts to protect its environment, with a particular focus on sustainable farming and marine conservation.

‘2020 will see Galway host the European Capital of Culture on behalf of Ireland, a showcase of events highlighting the richness and diversity of Irish culture, art and sport.

‘During their time in Galway, the duke and duchess will have the opportunity to experience a taste of modern and traditional Irish culture for themselves.’