Prince William and Kate Middleton meet young people in Dublin

Prince William and Kate learned about sustainable farming this afternoon as their tour of Ireland continued after meeting young people facing mental health issues, homelessness or drug and alcohol problems.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are on the second day of their official royal tour of Ireland, and visited Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research Centre in Grange, County Meath, this afternoon.

They spoke to a group of farmers who are using the research in their own practices and met primary school children visiting the farm, joining in a session to learn about the environment, nutrition, and food production.

Earlier in the day the couple also joined young people cooking and playing table tennis as they visited Savannah House in County Kildare, a residential facility run by social justice charity Extern.

William and Kate also went to youth mental health charity Jigsaw in Dublin and spoke of the importance of getting a ‘tool box’ to help deal with life’s issues as they talked to young people at the drop-in centre.

The couple met young people supported by Jigsaw and spoke with community campaigners, teachers, parents and coaches about the impact of its work in one-to-one, neighbourhood, school and online services.

William and Kate – who wore a white Reiss coat to her first engagement at Jigsaw today – are making their first official visit to Ireland, a three-day trip which began yesterday and will take them from Dublin to Galway.

The Duke is later expected to speak about the Troubles and ‘many wrongs’ of Ireland and the UK’s ‘complex’ shared history at a reception hosted by Tánaiste Simon Coveney in Dublin.

William will give the keynote speech of the couple’s visit in which he will refer to yesterday’s moving ceremony at the Garden of Remembrance, where he and Kate paid tribute to those who had lost their lives fighting for Irish independence from the UK.

He is expected to say: ‘Growing up I remember seeing the troubles that took place, which affected so many people across the UK and Ireland.

‘This explains why one of the truly profound moments for Catherine and I took place yesterday when we laid a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance.

‘It was a reminder of the complexity of our shared history, and as my grandmother said during her visit in 2011, ‘our islands have experienced more than their fair share of heartache and turbulence’.

‘But it was also a reminder of how far we have come. It is right that we continue to remember those who suffered as a consequence of our troubled past. And whilst many wrongs have been done, it is important that we are not bound by these.’

Also today, the Duke and Duchess went on a shopping trip to a village convenience store in Ireland today to help teach vulnerable children how to buy food on a tight budget.

They may be millionaires with a small army of helpers at home and a household budget most would envy but William and Kate got stuck into helping two 13-year-old children, Simon and Molly, buy ingredients for a vegetable soup.

Their trip to the Londis store in the sleepy village of Prosperous in County Kildare was supposed to be a secret but by the time they got there around 200 villagers had gathered outside to see them.

It was not clear whether someone had blabbed or the villagers had put two and two together after spotting a heavy police presence and, according to one source, the shop’s owners giving it a fresh lick of paint the day before the visit.

William, 37, and Kate, 38, returned with a bag of provisions including brown bread, butter, and leeks and then set about making soup with children at Savannah House, a family respite centre run by the social justice charity Extern in Clane, County Kildare, 25 miles west of Dublin.

Each year around 300 children from all over Ireland stay at the centre for a maximum of three nights at a time to have a break from problems at home or while they are in care.

The royal couple asked to visit the charity after going to another of its projects across the border in Roscor, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, in February last year when they took part in a canoe race on Lough Eme. Irish officials said the couple wanted to showcase its cross-border work as part of the peace process.

The second in line to the throne and his wife went shopping with the children today after inspecting the fridge with them and checking the ingredients of the soup – all designed to teach the young people life skills. ‘There’s only one leek. Do we have to stick to the menu? William asked before telling others in the kitchen: ‘We’re going to shop for you.

‘We’ll be back in a minute. We’ll bring back all the wrong ingredients,’ he joked.

Back in the kitchen after 15 minutes the couple washed their hands carefully and donned aprons before helping Simon and Molly and two other children, Owen, 13, and Chloe, 15, prepare the meal for around 16 children and relatives. 

They asked the children whether they cooked at home and what food they liked. ‘Do you cook any vaguely healthy things?’ Kate asked hopefully as they washed and peeled carrots.

They discussed pasta and other dishes but if some of them were fussy eaters, it appeared they were not alone.

William asked the boys if they liked pancakes as Shrove Tuesday has just been and gone. ‘I tried to get my children to eat pancakes but they weren’t so interested this year. Maybe next year,’ he said.

Upstairs in a recreation room there was a further insight into the couple’s life at home with their children, Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, who will be two next month, and their cocker spaniel, Lupo.

They joined in a game of table tennis with young people who use the centre. ‘We try to do this at home but our dog keeps catching the ping pong balls,’ the Duchess said.

Before they left they sat down with another group of children to help them decorate bunting with their own personal messages on what they like about Savannah House. The exercise is designed to make them take ownership of the centre and help them feel at home on their return visits, often for family therapy.

Extern supports more than 20,000 people per year, including 3,500 children in Ireland and 6,500 in Northern Ireland, affected by issues such as homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, offending, and mental health problems.

Charlie Mack, chief executive of Extern, said: ‘The children we support are truly inspirational, and Extern is commuter to providing them with the opportunity to discover strengths and abilities they never knew they had.

‘It was wonderful to once again witness the enthusiasm and Ladki Their Royal Highnesses have for encouraging and empowering children. I know this day will live long in the memory of the young people and staff who were here at Savannah House today.’

At the Jigsaw centre today, William and Kate chatted to three service users who had been helped by the charity.

Lauren Russell, 21, said ‘I spoke to them about how I was able to build a tool box of how to deal with issues I was facing. They were very interested in that. It effectively gives you a way to manage life’s stresses and be able to cope with your problems.

‘I struggled with keeping a secret about my mental health problems and thinking people would treat me differently. Both of them stressed that breaking the stigma surrounding mental health was so so important.’ 

Ella Barton, 19, said: ‘They were amazing. So down to earth and really connected with what we were saying and the issues young people face. 

‘What was amazing about the visit is that they were on the same page of many of the issues I have struggled with.

‘I explained that the school system had failed me and they agreed that more needed to be done in schools to help young people before they reach the stage when they need to seek help, particularly bullying and other school stresses.

‘They agreed that school principals need to step up and do more. And to have people with such power saying that I think will make such a difference,’ she said. 

Ricky Jinks, 24, said: ‘They were very interested in the time-line of mental health and if something could be done to prevent me having to seek help with Jigsaw.

Mr Conor Boksberger, clinical manager of Jigsaw, said: ‘To have to global figures come off the street to visit us is so important, especially when encouraging young people to do the same, to walk in and share their problems.’

Police allowed small security checked crowd inside the barriers. When the couple arrived they waved as they cheered. On each occasion the couple waved but did not over to talk to them.

Last year, they visited Extern’s Roscor Youth Village, in County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, which each year provides 6,000 bed nights to young people experiencing challenges at home and in their careers.

Last night, a reception in Dublin saw the Duke joked about unwittingly ‘spreading’ the coronavirus while meeting well-wishers during his Irish tour.

William poked fun at himself after he questioned a paramedic about whether he thought coverage of the illness was ‘being a little hyped up’ in the media. 

Also yesterday, the Queen wore gloves to present honours during an investiture ceremony, but Buckingham Palace declined to confirm whether the monarch was taking the precaution because of the outbreak.

William talked about the infection as he chatted to emergency workers at a reception hosted by Britain’s Ambassador to Ireland Robin Barnett in the Gravity Bar at Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse.

He asked Joe Mooney, an advance paramedic with the National Ambulance Service: ‘I bet everyone’s like ‘I’ve got coronavirus, I’m dying’, and you’re like ‘no, you’ve just got a cough’.

‘Does it seem quite dramatic about coronavirus at the moment? Is it being a little bit hyped up do you think in the media?’

Later he grimaced with mock horror as he said: ‘By the way, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spreading coronavirus, Sorry. We’re keeping an eye on that, so do tell us if we need to stop.’

The couple shook hands with dozens of people on the first day of their tour and are expected to continue to do so, based on advice they are being given. 

A royal source said last night the couple were following guidance from Public Health England and the Department of Health and that meant ‘business as usual’ for now.

‘This is a discussion we have been having and everything we are doing should continue as usual,’ said the source.

William and Kate enjoyed a pint of Guinness at the Storehouse – a major visitor attraction which tells the story of the famous drink – with the duke toasting his hosts in Gaelic, raising his pint and saying ‘Slainte’.

He also addressed the guests from the worlds of sport, film, television and the armed forces in Irish, calling them ‘dhaoine uaisle’ – ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’.

‘Ireland is a country that we have both heard so much about, so we are really excited to be here with you to see it first-hand for ourselves,’ the duke said.

‘In coming to the Guinness Storehouse, we are retracing the footsteps of my grandmother, who was shown how to pour the perfect pint here in 2011. 

‘Ladies and Gentlemen let me tell you it is not often that I find myself following the Queen to a pub.’

During the reception William and Kate were introduced to groups of guests, from film and TV, sports, sustainability and environment, creative and cultural Ireland, education and research, the charity sector and uniformed services.

They included Game Of Thrones star Liam Cunningham, who played Davos Seaworth in the HBO series and Misfits actor Robert Sheehan, comedian Deirdre O’Kane and actors Sarah Bolger and Orla Brady.

The duke and duchess’s outing came after a day of formal engagements to launch their first official visit to Ireland, nine years after the Queen became the first British monarch to visit the country since its independence.

They met Irish President Michael D Higgins at the statesman’s official residence Aras an Uachtarain where they discussed the implications of Brexit and talked about building on the foundations of the Good Friday Agreement which ushered in peace in Northern Ireland.

In Dublin’s Garden of Remembrance, the royals also honoured the memory of those who gave their lives for Irish Independence from Britain, echoing the Queen’s symbolic visit there in 2011 when she bowed her head in tribute to the fallen.

The couple then met the outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Ireland’s Government Buildings.

Their three-day tour will focus on the themes of reconciliation, youth, culture, sustainability and the environment, and will see the couple visit the counties of Meath, Kildare and Galway.