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"Bloody Sunday" stop on queen's tour of Ireland

May 18, 2011 / 5:00 PM EDT / CBS News

Irish President Mary McAleese, Queen Elizabeth II and Christy Cooney arrive at Croke Park on May 18, 2011 in Dublin.

DUBLIN (CBS/AP) Queen Elizabeth II confronted Britain's past Wednesday when she stopped at the site of a notorious massacre in which British troops killed 14 Irish civilians in 1920.

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The queen's visit to Croke Park on the second day of her historic trip to the Republic of Ireland highlights the vast improvement in Anglo-Irish relations since those dark days.

On Sunday, Nov. 21, 1920, British troops surrounded Croke Park and fired on people attending a football match there.

Since then, the large sports stadium is a revered spot for Irish nationalists who mourn what has become known in Irish lore as "Bloody Sunday" and those who died there during the conflict with Britain.

Today, the seats of the stadium - the home of the Gaelic Athletic Association - were empty, a sign of the extensive security during the queen's visit.