Empty streets, snipers on roofs, and airport-style security for over 900 ­journalists from around the world welcomed the ­European Political ­Community summit to Dublin yesterday.

With the Government ­efficiently, if expensively, boxing off threatened strikes ahead of the summit, the hard work of the Department of ­Foreign Affairs and others came to fruition.

And our leaders in Leinster House clearly had the Child of Prague out the night before, leaving our distinguished visitors with a clear blue sky and a bright sun shining down on the futuristic-looking Convention Centre.

Journalists arrived at Croke Park from the early morning to be ferried into the Centre, but not before going through some airport-style security.

As the 50-plus world leaders arrived one by one, they were greeted by a cheery Micheál ­Martin for a grip and grin before speaking briefly to the assembled press.

If this is the apogee of Mr ­Martin’s career, then it will be one he remembers fondly with world leaders coming to town while he led the country – and Tánaiste Simon Harris perhaps looked on jealously.

Fianna Fáil ears will have pricked up when Mr Martin had to be pushed by presenter Sarah McInerney on Morning Ireland to say he would lead the party into the next general election. But all of that is for another day.

Meetings of this scale rarely happen without a lot of work behind the scenes. Everything from the flowers to the food is carefully chosen, lest we let ourselves down in front of our European neighbours.

We are reliably told the plants on display were a showcase for a variety of OPW sites, including Derrynane House in Kerry, Garinish Island in Cork, Glebe House in Donegal and the Phoenix Park.

The gardaí, who called off their work-to-rule protest just in the nick of time, are providing 15,000 12-hour shifts and will receive 35,000 hot sit-down meals and a generous lump sum in overtime as payment for their services.

New Garda vehicles were bought in for the occasion, and we can attest to that, seeing a 2026 Audi helping to bring Britain’s prime minister Andy Burnham to the Convention Centre.

For the less experienced amongst us, it was essentially a guessing game as to where the leaders would pop out to speak to the press. There were not one or two, but seven spots for world leaders to speak to the media.

One by one they came in. German chancellor Friedrich Merz, French president Emmanuel Macron, and Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney. And VIPs every 90 seconds.

Inadvertently, we found ourselves face to face with Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief. What did she think of Ireland’s ability to protect undersea cables to our west in the Atlantic? While being careful not to offend her hosts, she hinted at changes to come, saying international maritime law had little to say about undersea cables.

All leaders spoke to the threats posed by Russia while also cautiously welcoming the potential for peace talks that may soon begin. Some were more gloomy than others.

Mr Macron warned that Europe’s support for Ukraine was critical because ‘there is no more US support’. All, though, were sure that the EU needed to be at the table of any peace talks.

The star power of Macron, Merz, Carney and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni attracted the biggest gaggle of reporters.

At least they had the decency to take questions, unlike the unelected Ursula von der Leyen, whose unilateral project to bring Canada into an associate membership of the European Union was humiliatingly rejected by actual EU leaders recently.

However, the Canadians remained convinced last night they could gain associate membership, despite strong German opposition.

Back in the press pen we were treated to charcuterie boards and sausage rolls for breakfast, lamb stew for lunch, and apple crumble with custard for dessert. Coffee was on tap. If anyone wants to know why our presidency is costing multiples of other EU countries, they could start here.

Engagements with the assorted leaders happened across the day, but it was hard to shake the eeriness of a locked-down city outside. Eagle-eyed snipers were on rooftops, streets around the Convention Centre were blocked off, and gardaí could be seen wherever you turned. Looking at the empty streets, it was like the Covid pandemic all over again.

These major events are essentially an opportunity to project a united front. To the west, European leaders face a weakened and unpredictable Donald Trump. And to the east, well, they face a threat, too, this time from Putin and his cohorts.

These summits also represent an opportunity to get political leaders in the room without the prying eyes of their civil servants or press present. The European Political Community is a talking shop. It is supposed to bring together EU member states with the wider European community. Countries such as Armenia and Albania show up to make the case for accession to the EU.

Canada now comes, with Mr Carney talking about the ­importance of ‘middle powers’ and the role they have in international affairs.

An unusual moment occurred when the British PM Mr Burnham showed up around 2pm, on a late flight from Turkey where he was attending COP31 environmental summit.

When he appeared on the screens, there was a small cheer. The chance to quiz another world leader had arrived.

But our hopes were quickly dashed when an anonymous Foreign Affairs mandarin told us, no, he would not be doing a doorstep on the way in. Boos ensued before the assembled press broke out in laughter.

If in doubt, we can all be annoyed at the British.

However, much of the day was dominated by the news that Donald Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, were hightailing it from Abu Dhabi, via Moscow, to Ireland to debrief Volodymyr Zelensky on a potential peace process.

They were due in Baldonnel Aerodrome where they would meet Zelensky around 7pm, before talking to the media.

We understand that EU leaders were keen to get in on the meeting, but Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee said it would be between the Americans and Mr Zelensky only.

Following a full day’s bloviating and being ferried from one ­meeting to the next, the leaders retired for dinner to the National Gallery. The focus was on ‘seasonal, sustainable and organic’ Irish food.

The menu included wild salmon and Irish beef.

Today is another day’s work and begins with the informal EU Council meeting. A bit more actual business will be done here, when it is only EU members in the room.

But as far as the EPC went, the Government can only be happy. Major political leaders from outside the EU travelling into town. No major security scares. No major protests of note. It may all melt away like yesterday’s snow for most of the public, but the Government will be quietly pleased with a good day’s work.

brian.mahon@dailymail.ie