Biden to visit Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and tour his maternal great-grandfather’s homeland

U.S. President Joe Biden will begin his visit to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday. four-day tour of the British province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement, which ended three decades of conflict on the island.

The White House revealed on Monday the keys to the trip and assured that. Biden, who is of Irish descent on his mother’s sideis looking forward to returning to the land of his ancestors.

“The president is eager to embark on this journey and celebrate the deep historical ties that bind our two countries together. and that our two peoples continue to share,” John Kirby, a White House spokesman, said at a press conference.

According to Kirby, Biden to arrive Tuesday night in Belfast. and will be met at the airport by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, with whom he already met in March in San Diego (California, USA) to announce with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a new plan to develop nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS security pact.

Wednesday, Biden and Sunak to hold bilateral meeting. and then the U.S. leader will give a speech at the new campus of the University of Ulster in the Northern Irish capital.

The U.S. leader will highlight in his speech “the tremendous progress” that has been achieved after the signing of the Good Friday agreement and, in addition, will underline the willingness of the United States to “preserve those achievements” and support the economic development of Northern Ireland.

His agenda will not include a visit to Stormont Castle., the seat of the Northern Irish devolved assembly and whose power-sharing government has been suspended for more than a year over pro-British unionism’s rejection of Brexit arrangements for the region.

Some quarters in Northern Ireland have not taken kindly to that absence. and consider, moreover, that the president does not have enough events in the British province.

Return to the land of his ancestors.

In fact, after spending a few hours in Northern Ireland, the U.S. president will be putting Wednesday for the Republic of Ireland.

Specifically, after the speech at the University of Ulster, will head to County Louth (northeast of Ireland), where the great-grandfather of the president was born.James Finnegan.

The Finnegan Clanwhose blood came to Biden on the maternal side, lived in Louth for years before crossing the ocean to start a new life in the United States and, like many other Irish, fleeing the lack of opportunity that characterized the period of the Great Irish Famine (1845-1849).

In County Louth itself, Biden will tour King John’s Castle, also known as Carlingford Castle, built in the late 12th century.

High-level meetings in Ireland

As explained by the White House, Biden will spend Wednesday night in Dublin. and Thursday will meet with the President of the Republic of Ireland, Michael Higgins.at his official residence in Áras an Uachtaráin.

The meeting will have a great symbolic content as the two plan to plant trees together and ring the so-called “peace bell”.

At the end of the ceremony, theU.S. president to meet with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkarwith whom he already met at the White House in March during St. Patrick’s Day, the patron saint of Ireland.

After meeting with Higgins and Varadkar, Biden will appear before the Irish Parliament, meeting in joint session, and will praise the cooperation between Ireland and the U.S. to advance democracy, peace, security and prosperity.the White House has advanced.

Thursday will conclude with a gala dinner at Dublin Castle.

27,000 bricks for tickets to the U.S.

Biden will culminate his tour Friday with a visit to County Mayo. (northwest), where part of his maternal family also hails from and where he is scheduled to give a speech on U.S.-Irish ties.

That speech will be staged at Ballina Cathedral, which holds a very important place in Biden’s heart.

According to Kirby, the president’s great-great-grandfather sold the cathedral some 27,000 bricks in 1827. and, with the money he got, he was able to buy the tickets with which the family migrated to the United States. years later, in 1851.

Those bricks, moreover, served to build the majestic cathedral.

The president will take advantage of his presence in May to visit the Knock Shrine, an important place of Catholic pilgrimage.

Biden and his entire entourage will spend Friday night in Dublin and on Saturday morning will return to the United States.