The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today learned about projects supporting young people with mental health problems, facing homelessness or drug and alcohol issues, as their tour of Ireland continued.
William and Kate were in Dublin as they visited Jigsaw, the national centre for youth mental health in Ireland, which provides vital support across a range of one-to-one, community, school and online services.
The couple met young people supported by the charity and joined a conversation with community campaigners, teachers, parents and coaches about the impact of Jigsaw’s work within their respective communities.
Later they will visit Savannah House in County Kildare, a residential facility run by social justice charity Extern, which supports young people with issues from being homeless to dealing with drug and alcohol problems.
William and Kate – who wore a white Reiss coat to her 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.
They will also visit County Meath, where they will tour Teagasc Research Farm to learn about its work promoting sustainable farming across Ireland.
Prince William and Kate are learning about projects supporting young people with mental health issues in Dublin today
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are in Dublin today as they visit Jigsaw, Ireland’s national centre for youth mental health
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’.
Crowds wait for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge this morning who are visiting the mental health charity Jigsaw in Dublin
A member of Garda waits for William and Kate’s arrival today at the mental health charity Jigsaw, at Temple Bar in Dublin
‘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.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attend a special reception at the Guinness Storehouses Gravity Bar in Dublin yesterday
William and Kate attend a wreath laying ceremony in the Garden of Remembrance at Aras an Uachtarain in Dublin yesterday
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and his partner Matt Barrett in Dublin yesterday
William and Kate speak with Irish President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina on the first day of their visit yesterday
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.