Prince William and Kate Middleton Want to Bring Their Kids to Ireland

Photo credit: Samir Hussein - Getty Images
Photo credit: Samir Hussein - Getty Images

From Town & Country

Prince William and Kate were in their element this afternoon dressed casually and enjoying the outdoors on a farm. And after chatting with children about their school projects, the royals even said they would like to bring their own kids over to Ireland for a visit.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent the afternoon at Teagasc Research Farm hearing about the organization's pioneering research to promote sustainable farming across Ireland. They were shown cows and their baby calves before meeting children from local primary school, Kiltale School, who have been working on projects about healthy eating and nutrition.

Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images
Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images

Pupil Thaddeus, 11, spoke with the royals about his project called Sustainable Farming Ireland, and showed them a graph about agriculture and greenhouse gases.

Afterwards, he said, “They asked me [about the project]. They said they wanted to bring their kids over soon to show our projects.” He added, “They said it’s very good to go outside and tell our friends to go outside.”

Teacher Sandra Connolly also spoke with T&C about the couple after their visit. “They took an interest in the projects. They took their time as well with it, they were very nice,” she said.

“They were saying it’s so important to get outside and get fresh air and to spend as much time as they can outside.”

Connolly also noted that Will and Kate had mentioned wanting to bring their kids to visit, and called the current tour “a positive thing.”

“They are obviously very well-known but they come across as a very nice couple and easy-going,” she said.

Another student, Jodie, age 10, shared that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge “were really nice.” “They were asking us about our projects,” she said.

Kate wore a blouse by Barbour and a coat by Irish label Dubarry for the trip to the farm, which was about an hour outside of Dublin. The Duchess is often outspoken about the benefits of being outdoors and said in a recent podcast interview that she is happiest when she is in the countryside with children George, six, Charlotte, four, and Louis, one, and they are all “filthy dirty.”

Photo credit: Samir Hussein - Getty Images
Photo credit: Samir Hussein - Getty Images

One of the experts showing the couple around today was Dr. Paul Crosson, a beef scientist who said they were “extremely well-informed about food production, beef production and cattle farming, and the role of farmers and countryside stewardship.”

He said that William showed his knowledge of farming by asking “incisive” and “well informed” questions. “To me, they demonstrated a couple who were genuinely interested and genuinely had knowledge of the issues around which they were speaking,” he said afterwards. Dr. Crosson said that half of the beef they produce in Ireland ends up in the UK market.

“Every second animal they saw today will end up there in a supermarket shelf or fast food outlet. And meeting what the UK consumer requires is important to us—the whole issue of animal welfare and countryside stewardship are important in a broad sense and we have to demonstrate that everything we do is adhered to.”

Liam Herlihy, Chairman of the Teagasc Agricultural and Food Development Authority, who also spoke with T&C about the visit, even compared farming to the British monarch.

“Farming is a bit like the royal family where it’s handed on from one generation to another,” he said. “We’re delighted that they are looking at some of our animals and looking at what grass fed beef is all about.”

Tonight, William and Kate will attend a reception at the Museum of Literature where the Prince will make a speech.

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