Blog: Some of them want to kill the Queen, writes Jason Lavan.

What a sorry state Ireland is in if it cannot realise the symbolism of the English monarch going to visit the shores of the Emerald Isle today for the first time in her reign – making her the first British monarch to visit southern Ireland since King George V in 1911.

I’m an Irishman, and I’ve spoken to people on the ground. They don’t want to see any harm come to her, but they are in no way interested in her visit.

As someone put it to me the other day: “I wouldn’t cross the street to see her.”

But the feelings of hatred coming from the dissident IRA are utterly repugnant.

They have begun scrawling their “no Queen visit” message across anything in Dublin that stands still for longer than five minutes.

As a result of their threats one of Dublin’s busiest train stations, Connolly Station, was evacuated and several inner city roads have also been blocked off.

Traffic has been disrupted with police lifting up manhole covers to check for bombs.

It is pathetic to see some people in the country cannot recognise the human cost already paid for a problem which is now largely solved.

Yes, there are still issues to be resolved in some communities, and some of those issues may only be resolved generations down the line, but this is no reason to try and flare up trouble again. It’s trouble that no one wants.

It is in some ways astonishing that the Queen has never visited before despite the political break-throughs in the 1990s.

Certainly the feeling in this country about Tony Blair is not too appetising, but he did outstanding work in Northern Ireland.

Many of the commentators leave that part out when referring to Mr Blair, but it is a very important point.

Prime Minister after Prime Minister tried to sort out the reckless violence and feelings of hatred which ran up and down the country and they all failed to get a breakthrough.

But Tony Blair did manage it and that  needs to be acknowledged, although his recent trip to Dublin was dominated by anti-war protestors who were far from welcoming.

While the cultural ties between Ireland and England continue to flourish, I do fear the Queen’s visit may bring unwanted trouble.

But her determination to visit should be praised and it is hoped her visit goes off without a hitch, even if they are bringing her to the Guinness Store House.