Biden visit – latest: US president wraps up Ireland tour after tearful meeting with priest

US president Joe Biden broke down in tears on the final day of his Ireland tour after an emotional unplanned meeting with a priest who gave the last rites to his son.

The Parish priest of Knock, Fr Richard Gibbons, said the chaplain who performed the last rites sacrament on Mr Biden’s son, Beau, now works at the Knock shrine in Co Mayo where the president paid a visit on Friday.

Fr Frank O’Grady performed the ceremony for Beau Biden before he died of brain cancer in 2015.

He received a call requesting that he meet the president, and later told RTE that the encounter was “like a reunion”.

“We had a nice chat for about 10 minutes. He was delighted to see me and I was delighted to see him,” he said. “He gave me a big hug, it was like a reunion. He told me he appreciated everything that was done.”

In the evening, Mr Biden received a rock star welcome from crowds in Ballina, County Mayo for his last public engagement of the trip.

Key Points

• Joe Biden visits Catholic pilgrimage site after arriving landing in Mayo

• US president to conclude trip with visit to ancestors’ hometown

• UK should work closer with Ireland to keep the peace, says Biden

• Biden toasts ‘Irish blood’ spilled to set America free

• Return to power-sharing ‘necessary’, says Biden, despite DUP dismissal

• US president meets Irish leader Michael D Higgins in Dublin

Biden meets Varadkar at Ireland’s house of dignitaries

Thursday 13 April 2023 14:21 , Liam James

Joe Biden has arrived at Farmleigh House in Dublin’s Phoenix Park on a sunny afternoon in Ireland’s capital.

The president was greeted by Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar on a recently cleaned red carpet outside the entrance to the official Irish state guest house.

“Beautiful day,” the president said as the pair shared a joke while shaking hands in front of a number of cameras.

Irish and US flags were positioned side by side next to the carpet, with a bed of purple flowers situated in front of them.

A small guard of honour greeted the president outside Farmleigh House before he entered the building with Mr Varadkar.

Ireland is graced by your presence, Varadkar tells Biden

Thursday 13 April 2023 14:53 , Liam James

Irish premier Leo Varadkar welcomed US president Joe Biden to Farmleigh House with a brief conversation in front of the media ahead of a private meeting.

Mr Varadkar told the president: “It is wonderful to have you back in Ireland and I think the visit has been going extremely well, you very much grace us with your presence and I look forward to the meeting later on.”

Mr Biden told Mr Varadkar it had been great to see him in Washington last month, and said: “I think there really is an opportunity to make serious progress, not just because of the accord that was signed 25 years ago, but in terms of the way Ireland is moving, the way it is taking its place in the world, working on helping countries around the world that are dealing with starvation, the way you’ve welcomed - I know it’s not easy - welcomed Ukrainians here and the leadership you’ve shown.

“I just think it feels so good to be able to have this stronger and stronger relationship between the United States and Ireland, I think our values are the same, and I think our concerns are the same, so I’m really looking forward to continuing to work with you.”

Biden breaks silence on leaked Pentagon documents

Thursday 13 April 2023 15:20 , Liam James

President Joe Biden said while he was concerned that sensitive government documents had been leaked, “there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that is of great consequence” (Darlene Superville writes).

It was the first time Mr Biden has commented publicly about the release of Pentagon documents that were posted on several social media sites. They appear to detail US and Nato aid to Ukraine and US intelligence assessments regarding US allies that could strain ties with those nations. The Justice Department has opened an investigation.

Mr Biden noted there was a “full-blown” investigation going on with the intelligence community and the Justice Department. “We’re getting close,” he said on answers. “But I don’t have an answer.”

Biden breaks silence on leaked Pentagon documents

Joe Biden in touching exchange with An Irish Goodbye star James Martin

Thursday 13 April 2023 15:45 , Liam James

US President Joe Biden said he would boast to his daughter about having his photo taken with James Martin, one of the stars of the Oscar-winning short film An Irish Goodbye (Ellie Harrison writes).

The film, which won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the ceremony last month, is a black comedy set on a rural farm in Glenmornan, a small hamlet in the west of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland.

It follows the reunion of estranged brothers Turlough (Seamus O’Hara) and Lorcan (Martin) after the death of their mother.

Biden pointed out James Martin in the crowd as he spoke this week at Ulster University in Belfast, during a visit to the country for the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Joe Biden in touching exchange with An Irish Goodbye star James Martin

Irish president pleased by Biden’s reception

Thursday 13 April 2023 16:15 , Liam James

Irish president Michael D Higgins said he is pleased by the warmth of the welcome US president Joe Biden has received in Ireland.

The pair met at Mr Higgins’ official residence in Dublin on the second day of Mr Biden‘s visit to the Republic of Ireland.

Mr Higgins thanked Mr Biden for his continuing support for the Good Friday Agreement and they discussed the need for continued work to build on and strengthen the peace process in Northern Ireland.

They also discussed the challenges which the Irish diaspora in the US faces, the rights of trade unions, importance of green transition, support for same-sex marriage and LGBT+ rights as well as climate change and global food security.

Biden not anti-British, says Irish PM

Thursday 13 April 2023 16:50 , Liam James

Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar has said the strength of the UK-US relationship should never be underestimated, as he rejected claims that Joe Biden is anti-British.

It comes as a Home Office minister insisted Rishi Sunak’s interaction with the US president in Belfast involved “extensive discussions” – while the White House characterised their talks as “broad” and “general”.

The Taoiseach, speaking to reporters in Dublin following a meeting with the US president, rejected any suggestion that Mr Biden was “anti-British”.

“I don’t agree with that assessment, that’s certainly not my experience of President Biden or his administration,” he said.

“They’re very keen to have a strong and special relationship with the United Kingdom and that, of course, goes back to their own history, and also the fact that they fought two world wars, side by side.

“We should never underestimate the strength of the UK/American relationship, and I know that President Biden and his administration are committed to that special relationship, but he is somebody who identifies as Irish-American, who is proudly Irish, and takes an interest in Irish affairs, and his only interest really is to see not just peace sustained in Northern Ireland, but also ... the institutions up and running.

“Because people and politicians come and go, it’s institutions that underline and make sure that democracy and freedom and prosperity last for generations.

“I don’t feel he is pushing any particular agenda other than what he thinks is best for the people of Northern Ireland and the people of Ireland as a whole.”

Biden nearly made ball boy for girls’ Gaelic football match

Thursday 13 April 2023 17:15 , Liam James

US president Joe Biden was nearly called upon as a ball boy during a young girls’ Gaelic games demonstration.

Mr Biden stood with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and watched girls from St Brigid’s GAA Club play camogie at Farmleigh House in sunny Dublin on Thursday.

During the demonstration, a sliotar flew past the president, prompting him to quickly turn and almost break into a jog before a young girl ran past him to collect it.

Mr Biden turned back to face the pitch and smiled as the game continued.

Biden arrives at Irish parliament for speech

Thursday 13 April 2023 17:18 , Liam James

Joe Biden has arrived at the Irish parliament ahead of an address where he will set out a “shared vision” for the future US-Irish relationship.

Mr Biden will be the fourth US president to address the parliament after Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan and John F Kennedy.

Thursday 13 April 2023 17:22 , Liam James

From the Press Association: Silence briefly fell in the Dail chamber as an announcement was made to the gathered politicians and dignitaries.

They were told that Joe Biden had left Phoenix Park and was making his way towards Leinster House, where the parliament sits.

After the announcement, more politicians began to find their seats and the volume lifted as chatter resumed.

Gerry Adams present for Biden’s speech

Thursday 13 April 2023 17:33 , Liam James

Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams is in the Dail for President Joe Biden’s speech on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Adams, who negotiated the agreement on the republican side, last week said thousands of lives had been saved by the peace deal.

Biden enters Irish parliament

Thursday 13 April 2023 17:44 , Liam James

Joe Biden has entered the Dail, or chamber, of the Irish parliament ahead of a speech to members.

Speaker invokes spirit of Kennedy in Biden introduction

Thursday 13 April 2023 17:51 , Liam James

Introducing Joe Biden, the speaker of Ireland’s Dail, Sean O Fearghail, harked back to the first time a US president addressed the chamber.

John F Kennedy, America’s first Irish descended president, spoke to the Dail in June 1963, months before his assassination.

“Nearly 60 years ago today, in a very different world, and a very different Ireland the late president John F Kennedy addressed both houses and inspired our people,” Mr Fearghail said.

“It is particularly fitting therefore that you should address so close to that important anniversary,” he told Mr Biden.

Thursday 13 April 2023 17:57 , Liam James

Joe Biden received a rapturous applause as he entered the chamber of the Dail.

TDs and senators rose to their feet for an extended standing ovation while others shook his hand as he descended the steps.

TDs could be seen taking photographs and smiling as the US president joined them in the Dail.

‘Well Mom’, Biden starts with nod to roots

Thursday 13 April 2023 17:58 , Liam James

Joe Biden’s first words as he took the stand to address the Irish parliament: “Well Mom, you said it would happen.”

He went on to apologise to the infant child of an audience member for “havign to listen to the policy speech of an American president.”

Biden in gaffe territory again with All Blacks reference

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:03 , Liam James

The US president went on: “I always have a little bit of Ireland close by when I’m in Washington. In the Oval Office. I have the rugby ball signed by the Irish rugby team the ball the team played when they beat the All Blacks in government.”

Yesterday, Mr Biden made a major gaffe when he mistakenly referred to the All Blacks as the Black and Tans; the former the New Zealand national rugby team and the latter a name for British reserve troops in the Irish War of Independence.

He added: “My cousin, one of Ireland’s greatest rugby stars Rob Kennedy brought it to DC on St Patrick’s Day in 2022 to give me and I didn’t play rugby except when I was out of school out of law school. And I didn’t play very well we played in a rugby club. But I did play American football, the few other sports but I realised that, you know, you guys are all nuts. “

Biden toasts ‘Irish blood’ spilled to set America free

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:09 , Liam James

Continuing his address to the Irish parliament, Joe Biden said: “Today, I’d like to reflect on the enduring strength of the connections between Ireland and the United States. A partnership for the ages begins in our shared history, dating back to the very founding of the United States.

“The Irish hearts that helped kindle the torch of liberty and my country and fire its revolutionary spirit, the Irish blood from across this island that was willingly given for my country’s independence.

“The Irish hands that laid the foundations of a new kind of future. One from the bottom up and the middle out one built on freedom.”

UK should work closer with Ireland to keep the peace, says Biden

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:26 , Liam James

Britain should be working closer with Ireland to keep peace in Northern Ireland, Joe Biden said in an address to the Dail.

The US president said the Good Friday Agreement, signed 25 years ago, “still needs champions”.

“We must never forget that peace has become a lived reality for an entire generation of young people,” he said, adding: “Peace is precious.”

After years of uncertainty in Northern Ireland due to Brexit, the president said: “I think that the United Kingdom should be working closer with Ireland and this ever this endeavour. Political violence is never going to be allowed to take hold on this island.”

‘It’s an honour to be here’: Biden closes speech

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:35 , Liam James

Joe Biden closed his speech to the Irish parliament with a plea for peace in the future.

“No matter what party we belong to, our values are the same. It’s about honesty, dignity, justice and you all have every ingredient to make it work.

“It’s an honour to be here. Thank you very much,” he said before receiving a standing ovation.

Ireland has ‘best poets in world', says Biden

Thursday 13 April 2023 18:57 , Liam James

Joe Biden said Ireland has the best poets in the world and quoted Seamus Heaney in the Dail.

The US president’s address to the Irish Parliament coincided with the late Nobel Laureate’s birthday.

Mr Biden thanked Mr Heaney’s widow Marie for a signed copy of his work, and added: “I was always quoting Irish poetry in the United States Senate over my career.

“It’s a long career – 36 years. And my colleagues always thought I did it because I was Irish. That’s not the reason, they have the best poets in the world.”

He said his favourite poem was “The Cure At Troy” and read a quote.

“He wrote, ‘Don’t hope on this side of the grave. But then, once in a lifetime, that longed-for tidal wave of justice can rise up and hope and history rhyme’,” Mr Biden said.

“It’s everything I’ve been taught, rise up. We’ve, in the past, made hope and history rhyme.

“So today, ladies and gentlemen, as we celebrate the enduring partnership between our nations, our shared past, our present, let’s set our eyes squarely on the future.”

Thursday 13 April 2023 19:30 , Liam James

Joe Biden promised enduring US support for the peace process as he told TDs and senators that “Ireland’s story is no one’s to tell but its own”.

“The greatest peace dividend of the Good Friday Agreement is an entire generation of people, an entire generation of young people,” he said.

“Its hearts have been shaped not by grievances of the past, buy by confidence that there’s no checkpoints on your dreams. They’re writing a new future, a future of unlimited possibilities.”

He went on: “Today Ireland story is no one’s to tell but its own. But the United States will be your closest partner, your most dependable partner, and your most enthusiastic supporter every step of the way. I promise you.

“We’re going to continue to grow our enormous economic relationship as a foundation for both our nations’ prosperity.”

Biden arrives for state banquet at Dublin Castle

Thursday 13 April 2023 21:02 , Liam James

Joe Biden has arrived at the State Apartments at Dublin Castle for a banquet dinner in his honour.

The event is being hosted by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and will commence with a reception in the Portrait Gallery followed by the dinner in St Patrick’s Hall.

Mr Varadkar greeted Mr Biden on the red carpet on his arrival.

Biden namechecks JFK in Irish parliament speech

Thursday 13 April 2023 21:45 , Liam James

Joe Biden namechecked fellow Irish-Catholic president John F Kennedy when he addressed the Irish parliament.

The legacy of Mr Kennedy, who addressed a joint sitting of the Dail and Seanad in 1963, was reached for on a number of occasions by Mr Biden during the historic address.

Mr Biden, who like his predecessor has made little secret of his pride in his Irish roots, told parliamentarians: “We have the power to build a better future.”

He said that 60 years ago the “first Irish-Catholic president of the United States made a historic trip here speaking to this assembly and capturing the imaginations of Irish and Irish-American families alike”.

“When John Kennedy addressed parliament, the honour of the more than 150,000 Irish immigrants who joined the army of the North during America’s Civil War – and among them, one or two of them were my relatives as well - they signed up in a new land, to stand for old values, to defend freedom and the dignity of all people.”

Joe Biden declares ‘I am home’ in historic address to Irish parliament

Thursday 13 April 2023 22:30 , Liam James

Joe Biden declared he was “home” in a historic address to Ireland’s parliament on Thursday where he spoke of the strength of US ties to Dublin and called on Britain to work more closely with Ireland to protect “precious” peace.

The US president was welcomed with sustained, rapturous applause as he entered the chamber in Dublin’s Leinster House for what he called “one of the great honours of my career.”

Asking to be forgiven for his attempt at speaking Irish, he said “Ta me sa bhaile” (I am home).

Mr Biden became the fourth US president to address the Irish Parliament after John F Kennedy in 1963, Ronald Reagan in 1984 and Bill Clinton in 1995.

Click here for the full story:

Joe Biden declares ‘I am home’ in historic address to Irish parliament

US-Ireland history unites Ukraine war response, says Varadkar

Thursday 13 April 2023 23:58 , Liam James

Irish premier Leo Varadkar said Ireland and the US have a shared history which unites their response to the war in Ukraine.

He was speaking at a dinner being held in US president Joe Biden‘s honour at Dublin Castle.

“When we show courage to defend the principle that all people are created equal, and we fight to protect those inalienable rights described so long ago when we become beacons of hope, as well as of liberty, helping others to find their own paths to freedom, and the freedom to achieve freedom - that is the promise of America. And that is the promise of Ireland too,” he said.

Friday 14 April 2023 00:35 , Liam James

Joe Biden told the audience at Dublin Castle: “Together, we have worked to become more peaceful, more equal, more diverse, more unified, and I think more hopeful.

“So today, wherever there’s a yearning for freedom, a struggle for change, a cry for justice, people around the world know they can count on Ireland.

“They can count on Ireland.”

Biden to visit ancestors’ home in final day of Ireland visit

07:37 , Andy Gregory

Joe Biden’s four-day trip to the island of Ireland will conclude today after he makes a public address in the hometown of some of his ancestors.

The US president has another busy schedule on Friday as he tours Co Mayo, starting with a visit to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock, a Catholic pilgrimage site which has been visited by several popes, before travelling to the North Mayo Heritage and Genealogical Centre’s family history research unit.

It is also believed Mr Biden will make a private visit to the Mayo Roscommon Hospice in Castlebar that is dedicated to his son Beau who died of brain cancer in 2015.

The visit will conclude in the town of Ballina where Mr Biden will make a speech at St Muredach’s Cathedral.

Mr Biden’s great-great-great grandfather Edward Blewitt sold 27,000 bricks to the cathedral in 1827, which helped buy tickets for himself and his family to sail to America decades later in 1851.

Biden to conclude Ireland trip with visit to ancestors’ home town

‘Great buzz’ in Co Mayo ahead of Biden’s visit, says relative

07:46 , Andy Gregory

There has been a “great buzz” in Co Mayo ahead of Joe Biden’s arrival today, a third cousin of the US president has said.

Joe Blewitt said the town of Ballina – where Mr Biden is due to speak at a cathedral to which his great-great-great grandfather sold 27,000 bricks, helping him to travel to America – will never have witnessed anything like it.

“We are building the stage at the moment. I am very excited, there is a great buzz all around the town. It has just been crazy,” he said. “The town will never have known anything like it, it is just great.”

Co Mayo town ‘buzzing’ ahead of Biden visit, says relative of US president

Biden becomes fourth US president to address Irish parliament

08:05 , Andy Gregory

Joe Biden became the fourth US president to address the Irish parliament yesterday evening, after John F Kennedy in 1963, Ronald Reagan in 1984, and Bill Clinton in 1995.

In his 30-minute address, the president praised the “enduring” strength of the Ireland-US relationship as he promised “a future poised for unlimited shared possibilities”.

He was welcomed with sustained, rapturous applause as he entered the chamber in Dublin’s Leinster House for what he called “one of the great honours of my career”.

Asking to be forgiven for his attempt at speaking Irish, he said “Ta me sa bhaile” (I am home). Alastair Jamieson has the full report:

Joe Biden declares ‘I am home’ in historic address to Irish parliament

US and Ireland ‘know the value of democracy’, says Biden

08:13 , Andy Gregory

Biden’s visit a ‘very special week’ for Ireland, says deputy PM

08:55 , Andy Gregory

Tanaiste Micheal Martin said it had been a “very special week” for Ireland as Joe Biden continues his visit.

Mr Martin told RTE’s Morning Ireland programme: “It has been a very special week insofar as it captures that special relationship with this president and the American people in terms of a shared past, and in many ways it’s a tribute to the legacy of that past given his own personal family story of emigration.

“But it is also a tribute to rich possibility of the future which I think he did focus on very significantly. In addition to that it is about shared values, it is about faith in the rules-based international order.

“Given all that is happening in the world today in terms of the war in Ukraine and the climate change existential challenge that he referred to, that sense of nations, particularly those that are committed to rules-based order and a value system, is very important. He did focus a lot over the last number of days on values.”

Former Taoiseach wishes Biden ‘almighty welcome’ in Ballina

09:48 , Andy Gregory

Former Taoiseach and Co Mayo native Enda Kenny has said he hopes Joe Biden receives an “almighty welcome” when he arrives in Ballina, the town where some of his ancestors are from.

“Of all the American presidents that I’ve seen and met, he has ... the most active Irishness of them all,” Mr Kenny told RTE. “A man deeply proud of his faith, deeply proud of his heritage, and has paid tribute to that during his visit here.

“And I hope that, as a Mayo man myself, that by the time he gets to the Moy river and St Muredach’s Cathedral in Ballina this evening, that they will give him one almighty welcome.”

Biden’s ‘historic’ visit is one of ‘endless opportunity’, says ex-Taoiseach

09:50 , Andy Gregory

Joe Biden’s visit is historic because it is “one of endless opportunity”, former Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.

“This is the longest presidential visit to the island of Ireland ever. I think this is a historic occasion,” Mr Kenny told RTE.

“I hope the president enjoys his private visit to Knock where Monsignor Gibbons will show him around, where he will visit the Mayo Roscommon hospice, for which he turned the sod when he was vice president – and will enjoy his welcome home to Ballina.”

Ireland’s foreign policy should not be binary choice on whether to join military alliance, says deputy PM

10:17 , Andy Gregory

Consideration of Ireland’s international security policy should not by a binary choice on whether it joins a military alliance, deputy prime minister Micheal Martin has said.

In his speech to parliament, Mr Biden highlighted a quote by his predecessor John F Kennedy 60 years ago when he stated that Ireland has never been neutral “between liberty and tyranny”, adding that “over the past year Ireland has proved him right”.

Describing Mr Biden as “very taken” by Ireland’s humanitarian response to the Ukraine war, Mr Martin told RTE: “As he said himself are we are not militarily aligned, but we’re not politically neutral.”

He added: “That value system that the President spoke about is exactly where Ireland is in terms of values around democracy, freedom of the individual, the dignity of the individual and human rights and all of that and in terms of our work in Africa together, and in terms of food hunger,” he said.

“But there are broad threads coming our way, in terms of cybersecurity, hybrid warfare, and we have to be intelligent about that and we have to work in partnership, as we will be, and I think it’s important that we have a national conversation about that, in terms of the future threats and challenges to this country, and how do we respond to that?

“Are we equipped for that, and how do we manifest our independent foreign policy into the future? We wish to avoid a binary issue. It’s not just about whether you join a military alliance or not. It’s much broader than that.

“And I think most people in the international community are far more tolerant of our position than we might think ourselves, or some people might think here, and I think that’s the context for the national conversation.”

Biden’s remarks ‘an exhortation’ for everyone to co-operate, says Ireland’s deputy PM

10:41 , Andy Gregory

Joe Biden’s remarks that the UK should work more closely with Ireland to support the people of Northern Ireland was an exhortation for everyone to co-operate, Ireland’s deputy premier has said.

Michael Martin also said that be believed a speech by the president in Belfast earlier in the week could potentially help the political atmosphere in Northern Ireland, where powersharing institutions are currently suspended.

Asked about the comments on the RTE Morning Ireland programme, Mr Martin said: “I take that as a general exhortation to all of us to work together. I am pleased with Prime Minister Sunak, Chris Heaton-Harris, there is a closer engagement already over the last while, that could get closer.

“I think the context was clear from the president, he was speaking in the context of all of us. He mentions the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Ireland.”

The Tanaiste added: “The Good Friday Agreement really depends on the very close relationship between the British Government and the Irish Government. That is the anchor to the peace, the anchor to future relationships.”

Knock residents ‘excited’ for ‘magical’ visit

11:04 , Andy Gregory

Irish broadcaster RTE has been speaking to locals in Knock, where Joe Biden is soon set to visit.

“We’re all excited,” said one resident, adding that the “magical” event reminded her of when the pope visited in 2018.

The US president will visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock, a Catholic pilgrimage site which has been visited by several popes.

Editorial | Biden did not visit Ireland to move mountains

11:33 , Andy Gregory

Thursday’s editorial in The Independent notes that, while no more malicious than any other member of the Irish diaspora getting sentimental about their roots, Joe Biden’s well-known affection for the old country has evidently riled some senior figures in the Democratic Unionist Party. It states:

The former leader Arlene, now Baroness, Foster declared that Mr Biden “hates the UK”; while the splenetic Sammy Wilson claims that the president is anti-British. Their party leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, has refrained from endorsing his colleagues’ unnuanced analyses, wisely. No good comes from insulting the leader of the world’s only superpower.

The DUP hotheads are unfair on Mr Biden. No other conflict in the world, with the exception of Israel-Palestine, has attracted such attention from successive American presidents as The Troubles.

President Clinton, and especially his personal envoy Senator George Mitchell, was instrumental in securing the paramilitaries’ ceasefire and subsequent peace agreement. As Mr Biden recalled in Belfast, it was his fellow senator who told him that the Good Friday Agreement arrived after 7,000 days of failure and one day of success. It took most of the 1990s for the process begun by John Major and then Taoiseach Albert Reynolds to result in the Good Friday Agreement, and some years more before it became more stable and established. The high point was the unlikely but highly successful partnership between Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness: two men who carried such prestige that they could never be accused of “selling out”. When their time eventually passed, they left a vacuum which is yet to be filled.

It was local leaders who turned the Good Friday Agreement into the reality of everyday governance and a guarantee of peace. It is a lack of local leadership that is now undermining the agreement. Mr Biden cannot make power-sharing work; he can remind the parties that America will support them. That is exactly what he came to do. He did not come to broker a new political settlement.

Editorial: It would be foolish to condemn President Biden’s affection for Ireland

Co Mayo prepares for Biden’s arrival with flags and posters

12:09 , Andy Gregory

Here are some images from County Mayo today ahead of Joe Biden’s arrival:

Warmly welcomed, 'Cousin Joe' jokes of staying in Ireland

13:01 , AP

In Ireland this week, well-wishers have lined the streets to catch a mere glimpse of Joe Biden. Photos of his smiling face are plastered on shop windows, with one admirer holding a sign reading: “2024 - Make Joe President Again.”

No wonder Biden keeps joking about sticking around. Read the full report:

Warmly welcomed, 'Cousin Joe' jokes of staying in Ireland

‘This is going to last 40 years,’ says Ballina pub owner

13:22 , Andy Gregory

Joe Biden will later address a crowd in Ballina in front of St Muredach’s Cathedral, where his great-great-great grandfather once earned money which helped him emigrate to America in 1851.

Ahead of the visit the town was being decorated with US flags, bunting and cardboard cutouts of Biden peering out of windows, with a mural overlooking the local school.

“This is massive for the town,” said pub owner Michael Carr, 52, who compared the impact on future tourism to that of actor John Wayne’s visit to the fellow County Mayo town of Cong in 1951 to shoot The Quiet Man.

“This is going to last for 40 years.”

Biden waves farewell to Dublin

13:55 , Jane Dalton

Joe Biden has left Dublin for Co Mayo.

Presidential visits come with the pageantry of Air Force One landings, long motorcades and “the beast,” Biden‘s limo, which other world leaders, like Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, delight in riding.

“He can feel the love in a way that’s hard to do at home,” presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said.

“There’s something about an American president being in your country that makes a nation’s press and public go gaga.”

Biden lands in west of Ireland

14:22 , Jane Dalton

Air Force One has touched down in Co Mayo.

US president Joe Biden is in the west of Ireland to round off his four-day trip to the island.

The plane - a smaller version of the aircraft in which he arrived in Dublin on Wednesday - landed at what is officially known as Ireland West Airport.

Mr Biden is due to visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock, a Catholic pilgrimage site.

He is also set to visit the North Mayo Heritage and Genealogical Centre’s family history research unit, and later give a public address at a cathedral in Ballina - the town where some of his ancestors came from.

Preparations for US president’s visit

14:35 , Jane Dalton

They’re hanging out blue, red and white bunting and flags in Ballina, Co Mayo.

President greeted at airport

14:53 , Jane Dalton

Joe Biden spent a few minutes on the tarmac at Ireland West Airport as he and his sister Valerie Biden Owens were greeted by dignitaries.

“It’s good to be back,” he said as he began to shake hands.

Former Irish president Mary Robinson said Ballina in Co Mayo was “full of excitement”.

Ms Robinson, who is from Ballina, met Mr Biden during an event at Dublin Castle on Thursday. She told Mr Biden about the “famous light in a window” of the Irish president’s official residence Aras an Uachtarain.

She said she expected Mr Biden‘s speech in Ballina to reference the Irish tradition of placing a light in the window to guide the way of strangers in the night.

Visible from the main road outside the president’s residence the light is a symbolic beacon, “lighting the way for Irish emigrants and their descendants, welcoming them to their homeland”.

It remains an important symbol for the Irish diaspora.

“I think he’ll mention the light when he speaks because we were in tune last night,” she said.

President tweets it’s great to see old friends and family

14:55 , Jane Dalton

The US president has again hailed his Irish roots, as he tweeted how “great it was to see old friends and family – and make some new ones”.

Biden arrives at Knock Shrine in Co Mayo

15:15 , Andy Gregory

Joe Biden has arrived at Knock Shrine in Co Mayo, where he was met by cheering crowds waving Ireland, US and Mayo flags.

Knock shrine is a Catholic pilgrimage site, where locals claimed to have seen an apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1879. The site was visited by Pope Francis in 2018, and several popes before him.

The president will be given a tour of the shrine and meet the parish priest, Father Richard Gibbons.

After his visit to Knock, he will visit the North Mayo Heritage and Genealogical Centre’s family history research unit, and later give a public address at a cathedral in Ballina – the town where some of his ancestors came from.

Joe Biden’s Ireland speeches contain ‘serious messages’, says former president Mary Robinson

15:35 , Andy Gregory

Asked about Joe Biden’s public speeches during his visit, former Irish president Mary Robinson said he had managed to link in a clear pleasure of “being back home” with serious messaging, such as powersharing in Northern Ireland, the war in Ukraine and climate change.

“He talked about the economic development but he said it will also include the rights of workers being respected,” Ms Robinson said. “That is so important for a United States president in, you know, in our world today that we understand the rights of workers.

“He spoke about climate change. He spoke about AI, about the enormous promise and the enormous concern. He talked about it as an inflection point.

“You know, he had the ability to have serious messages among all the folksy biggest hope for the Irish, which we love, but serious messages were there.”

Biden touches apparition wall at Catholic pilgrimage site

15:37 , Andy Gregory

Joe Biden touched the apparition wall as part of his tour of the Knock shrine in Co Mayo, where locals claimed in 1879 to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary.

Accompanied by parish priest Fr Richard Gibbons, the US president then entered the Apparition Chapel for some moments of quiet reflection.

It followed a tour of the Knock basilica.

Biden visit will be ‘a boost’ for Ballina, says MP

15:51 , Andy Gregory

Joe Biden is “really buzzed up” about being in Mayo, said the area’s local MP, who met him off the plane at Knock airport.

Mayo TD Dara Calleary said the US president is someone who is “invested” in his trip to the county, where some of his ancestors hail from.

“He’s really buzzed up about coming to Ballina, looking forward to speaking outside the cathedral and very much invested in his trip to Mayo today,” Mr Calleary said. “We were chatting about that and it was a very relaxed chat. He’s thrilled to be here, and thrilled to be at Knock airport.

“He’s very invested in this trip. This is his third time in six years (visiting Ireland). This is not somebody coming looking for his roots. He knows his roots, he understands his roots and he understands the importance of those roots.”

Mr Calleary said he believes the visit will “be a boost for Ballina” but that it is something that must be built on, saying: “We’ll enjoy the excitement and we’ll enjoy the occasion but we all have to put our minds together as to how we build on that legacy and that work will begin next week.”

Watch: Joe Biden’s address to Ireland’s parliament on Thursday

16:04 , Andy Gregory

Joe Biden may visit hospice dedicated to late son

16:22 , Andy Gregory

After his tour of Knock, it is believed that Joe Biden could also make a private visit to the Mayo Roscommon Hospice in Castlebar which is dedicated to his son Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015.

Biden shares laugh with Catholic priest as he tours pilgrimage site

16:30 , Eleanor Noyce

US president Joe Biden has toured a Catholic pilgrimage site as part of his final day of engagements in Ireland.

Mr Biden was met by cheering crowds waving Ireland, US and Mayo flags, at Knock shrine in Co Mayo - one sign in the crowd read “Welcome Home Joe”.

Knock shrine is a Catholic pilgrimage site, where locals claimed to have seen an apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1879.

Mr Biden was given a tour of the basilica by the Knock parish priest, Father Richard Gibbons. The two could be seen laughing together by the altar as Fr Gibbons told the president about the history of the site, pointing out details including the Stations of the Cross.

Mr Biden is the second Catholic president and has been known to attend Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington’s Georgetown neighbourhood, a few miles from the White House.

It is where the nation’s first Catholic president, John F Kennedy, also attended mass in his time in office.

Joe Biden breaks down in tears after meeting priest who performed last rites sacrament on his late son

16:40 , Eleanor Noyce

President Joe Biden has broken down in tears at Knock Shrine in Co Mayo after a chance meeting with the priest who performed the last rites sacrament on his son Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2015.

The parish priest of Knock, Fr Richard Gibbons, told the BBC that the chaplain who gave the last rites to the president’s son is now working at Knock shrine.

Fr Frank O’Grady was the priest that performed the last rites and met with Mr Biden.

“He spoke about his, his family and his connection with his faith, and also about his son Beau who died,” Fr Gibbons said.

“And it just so happened, and this was kind of spontaneous, it just so happened that we have, working at the shrine here, the chaplain who gives the last rites of the last anointing to his son in the United States.

“Just extraordinary, and I didn’t even know that, I didn’t know that until the president arrived.

“I told the president that because I would have lined up the priests to meet him, so he wanted to meet him straightaway.”

Joe Biden’s chance meeting with priest described as ‘emotional moment'

16:52 , Eleanor Noyce

Father Richard Gibbons, the parish priest of Knock, has described Joe Biden’s chance meeting with the priest who performed the last rites sacrament on his late son as an “emotional moment.”

Joe Biden’s son, Beau Biden, died of cancer in 2015. Father Frank O’Grady was the priest that performed the last rites and met with Mr Biden on Friday afternoon.

Fr Gibbons said: “He laughed, he cried, it just kind of hit the man, you could just (see) how deeply it all felt and meant to him.”

“It was an extraordinary afternoon. I won’t forget it, I can tell you that it was quite something else”, he added.

Joe Biden gifted an original piece of stone from apparition wall at Knock Shrine

16:55 , Eleanor Noyce

US President Joe Biden has been gifted an original piece of stone from the apparition wall at Knock Shrine after an emotional meeting with the priest who performed the last rites on his son Beau Biden.

The parish priest of Knock Fr Richard Gibbons said he was unaware that one of the priests working at Knock Shrine, Fr Frank O’Grady, had a personal connection to the president.

He told the BBC that as soon as the president heard Fr O’Grady was working in Knock he wanted to meet him immediately.

“So he dispatched a Secret Service agent to go and find him, I had his number so I contacted him immediately,” Fr Gibbons said.

“And he got the shock of his life to come over, you know, so that was a wonderful, spontaneous thing that happened.”

Parish priest of Knock ‘would have arranged’ meeting with Father Frank O’Grady if he had known he performed last rites on late son

17:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Father Richard Gibbons, the parish priest of Knock, said he would have arranged to have Fr Frank O’Grady in the line-up to meet the US president if he had known he had performed the last rites on his son Beau Biden.

“I asked, I said to Fr Frank O’Grady, ‘Why didn’t you tell me this when he came?’ And he said, ‘Well, I didn’t want to say too much about it’,” Fr Gibbons said.

Fr Gibbons also said Joe Biden had a private moment of prayer before receiving a gift from the site of the apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1879.

“We said a prayer, we said a decade of the rosary for his family and we lit a candle and then he took a moment or two of private prayer and then we presented him with a gift of some of the original stone of the gable wall where the apparition took place,” he said.

Biden breaks down in tears over chance meeting with priest who performed last rites on his son

18:46 , Sam Rkaina

U.S. President Joe Biden broke down in tears after a chance meeting at an Irish church with the priest who performed the last rites on his son Beau, a priest who accompanied Biden during the visit said.

Father Richard Gibbons, who led Biden on a tour of the Catholic shrine of Knock, said he had not known that one of his colleagues, ex-US Army chaplain Father Frank O’Grady, had performed the sacrament until the president arrived.

Beau Biden, the president’s eldest son, died in the United States in 2015 from brain cancer.

“It just so happened, and this is spontaneous, that we have working at the shrine here the chaplain who gave the last rites, the last anointing, to his son in the United States,” Gibbons told the BBC.

“He (President Biden) wanted to meet him straight away, he dispatched a secret service agent to go and find him. He was crying, it really affected him and then we said a prayer, we said a decade of the rosary for his family, lit a candle and he took a moment or two of private prayer.”

“He laughed, he cried and it just kind of hit the man. You could just see how deeply it all felt and meant to him. It was an extraordinary afternoon.”

Biden, who is wrapping up a three-day trip to Ireland, later visited a nearby County Mayo hospice where he broke ground at its construction in 2017. A plaque on the ground at the entrance to the hospice is dedicated to Beau Biden.

The president, a devout Catholic, took a moment to look at the plaque before entering the hospice to meet the staff.

Visit a “momentous occasion” for Mayo

18:47 , Sam Rkaina

President Joe Biden’s public appearance for a speech in Ballina has been hailed as a “momentous occasion” and a “historic day” for the Mayo town.

Some of those gathered in an area directly in front of the stage told of their excitement at being so close to the US leader for the address.

Sinead Caffrey Blaine told the PA news agency: “I think it’s a very momentous occasion. It’s not often an American president visits the country, never mind our county.”

The 50-year-old Ballina local, who has been in position since shortly after 5pm, answered a resounding “yes” when asked if it was worth the wait even if it rained.

“From this spot? Definitely,” she added.

Alongside her was Mayo county councillor Donna Sheridan, who said: “I think it’s a really historic day for Ballina and for Mayo as a whole and I think it’s wonderful that President Biden is highlighting the beauty of our county across the world and promoting Mayo.”

Crowds father for Biden in Ballina

18:50 , Sam Rkaina

The public event for US President Joe Biden’s visit to Ballina, Co Mayo, is under way.

Opening the proceedings, Irish band The Academic played their hit song Why Can’t We Be Friends?

People gathered in the audience danced and took selfies.

There will be more musical performances ahead of the arrival of Mr Biden.

Anticipation for Biden’s final public address of the trip

19:00 , Sam Rkaina

Mayo TD Rose Conway-Walsh compared the occasion to an All-Ireland final, as Ballina prepared for Joe Biden’s final public address.

“There is a great sense of occasion here, there is great anticipation building for President Biden,” the Sinn Fein TD said.

“The eyes of the world are on Mayo and on Ballina tonight and I think the river, the cathedral, lends itself to something really special.”

Asked whether Mr Biden’s visit could bring some good luck to the Mayo GAA team, she said: “We are hoping.”

She said the event reminded her of an All-Ireland GAA final.

“It is that sense of anticipation when you’re going into Croke Park, that you’re expecting something good.”

Biden arrives in Mayo

19:06 , Sam Rkaina

Joe Biden has arrived at the North Mayo Heritage Centre, and was greeted by cheering crowds as his motorcade drove past.

The official US president’s helicopter, Marine One, set down on a landing zone just after 6pm, before Mr Biden travelled to the centre to be briefed on his family’s genealogy.

Father says Biden ‘a man of great faith'

19:15 , Sam Rkaina

Father Frank O’Grady said he had not seen Joe Biden since the death of his son Beau eight years ago.

He told RTE: “I was very surprised when I got a phone call to say the president wanted to see me.

“It was a delightful 10 minutes with him. I hadn’t seen him really in eight years since Beau died. His son Hunter was there too, so we had a real reunion.

“He certainly misses his son. He has been grieving a lot, but I think the grief is kind of going down a bit. We talked a little bit about how grief can take several years.”

Fr O’Grady added: “He certainly was very impressed with Knock.

“As a man of great faith, it really hit home very hard to him about his son’s passing when he comes to Knock, because we talk about mysteries of life and death in a place like Knock, all the time here.

“He is a man of great faith, and it is just a coincidence that I happened to meet him.”

Mayo footballer praises Biden spirit

20:22 , Sam Rkaina

Fine Gael TD and former Mayo footballer Alan Dillon said the gathering in Ballina echoed the values that Joe Biden had espoused during his visit.

“You can feel the energy around the town as the build-up continues and it’s amazing to see so many young people really, really excited about the presidential visit, and he is coming back to where he feels his roots are firmly placed and there is a huge sense of pride here today,” he said.

“I think if you listen to Joe Biden the last number of days, he talks about the values around respect, dignity, courage, and what more have we here tonight than people who actually want to acknowledge one of their sons coming back and give Ballina and Mayo that homecoming that he deserves.”

Biden presented with a brick from his family’s ancestral home

20:22 , Sam Rkaina

US President Joe Biden has been presented with a brick from his family’s ancestral home in Co Mayo.

It came as the president visited North Mayo Heritage and Genealogical Centre with his son Hunter Biden and sister Valerie Biden Owens.

He met Ernie Caffrey and his daughter Miriam, whose family owns a store that is located at the site of the former Blewitt family home in Ballina.

He presented the president with a brick from the house enclosed in a case.

Mr Biden responded: “It’s a 200-year-old brick”, as he read an inscription on the case, adding: “That’s incredible”.

He went on for a private meeting with some of his cousins.

Politicians’ praise for US president and “really special moment"

20:31 , Sam Rkaina

Simon Coveney, Ireland’s minister for enterprise, trade and employment, said it was a “great day for Ballina, great day for the west of Ireland”, as he arrived for President Biden’s speech.

Member of the European Parliament Maria Walsh said the visit of Joe Biden was a “phenomenal moment” for Ireland.

Ms Walsh was born in America and raised in Mayo.

“In 1970 when First Lady Nixon, Pat Nixon, visited it was Robeen in south Mayo again that she visited and my dad was sitting on a high wall watching this big fancy car come down a very small road in Robeen.

“It was the first time we’d seen anyone wearing sunglasses.

“So, a really special moment from an Irish American heritage standpoint.”

Rain fails to dampen mood as crowds wait for Joe

20:39 , Sam Rkaina

Heavy rain is failing to dampen the mood among thousands of people gathered in Ballina ahead of President Joe Biden’s speech.

At one point a double rainbow formed in the sky above the cathedral as The Coronas played for the expectant crowd.

People wearing ponchos waved US and Irish flags as the music played.

There were cheers from the crowd as former president of Ireland Mary Robinson took to the stage in a drizzly Ballina, ahead of President Joe Biden’s speech.

“You have two presidents who love Ballina, what else can you ask for?” she told the crowd to whoops.

Some fans have waited more than three hours to see president

21:01 , Sam Rkaina

Famous Irish traditional music group The Chieftains have taken to the stage before Joe Biden’s address in Co Mayo, in what organisers said would be a final reunion.

It comes after co-founder Paddy Moloney died in 2021.

Three-and-a-half hours after gates opened, people are still arriving for the US president’s speech.

Biden arrives for last address on Irish trip

21:32 , Sam Rkaina

The presidential motorcade has pulled up to St Muredach’s Cathedral in Ballina for Joe Biden’s address.

A member of the Irish band The Chieftains said: “It’s time for the last hurrah!”

Crowds ready to see president in person

21:42 , Jane Dalton

Crowds of thousands are waiting outside the cathedral in Ballina to see Mr Biden speak after he arrived by helicopter.

Varadkar welcomes Biden

21:51 , Jane Dalton

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar thanked the president for his friendship and helping to bring peace.

After Mr Biden’s ancestors had left Ireland, the country had not been in charge of its own affairs, he said.

“Thank you, for your lifelong commitment to peace on our island, your friendship, for the leadership you have shown protecting all that has been achieved, and for everything you are doing to help build a better future here, in America and in our world.

“In this place, history and hope are never too far apart.”

Although tragedy may shape us, it never defines us, he said.

Mr Biden was the most Irish of all US presidents, he added.

“In your heart, you never left.”

It feels like coming home, says Biden

22:02 , Jane Dalton

The crowds of thousands along the riverfront of Ballina cheered and waved frantically as Joe Biden took to the stage, waving back.

Thanking the Chieftains who played, he said he was a long-time fan of the band.

There were cheers in the crowd for Joe Biden’s first mention of his Blewitt family connections in Co Mayo.

“It feels like coming home, it really does,” he said.

He waved and smiled in response to the rapturous welcome, telling the huge crowd the town was home to Ireland’s first female president (Mary Robinson), one of the youngest mayors, and maybe to Ireland’s first female astronaut, Norah Patten.

Biden thanks Varadkar for hospitality and friendship

22:16 , Sam Rkaina

Joe Biden thanked Irish premier Leo Varadkar for “his remarkable hospitality, his generous remarks and maybe most importantly for his friendship”.

He thanked all the performers, particularly The Chieftains – telling them he saw them in 2016, adding: “I’m grateful you came back for one more time to perform tonight”, describing himself as a long-term fan.

“Most of all I want acknowledge my family, all the Blewitts, you make me proud,” he said to cheers.

He went on to talk about his visits across the day, including the former military chaplain Father Frank O’Grady who gave his son Beau his last rites.

“It was incredible to see him, it seemed like a sign,” he said.

Biden walked on stage to the Dropkick Murphys

22:19 , Sam Rkaina

Mr Biden took to the stage in Ballina following a short walk to the sound of the Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up From Boston”.

He waved and smiled in response to the rapturous welcome, telling the huge crowd “Hello Mayo, it’s great to be hearing you all, it’s great to be back here in Ballina”.

Mr Biden said the town is home to Ireland’s first female president (Mary Robinson), one of your youngest mayors, and maybe to Ireland’s first female astronaut – Norah Patten.

President finishes his tour to rapturous applause

22:21 , Sam Rkaina

Mr Biden said his ancestor Edward Blewitt worked in the old Ballina brickyard, and he saw a record from 1828 that he was paid 21 pounds and 12 shillings to help supply 27,000 bricks for St Muredach’s Cathedral, which was nearby as he addressed the crowd.

“As he laboured, I’m sure he would imagine that one day his family would worship here, that his children would be baptised here like his son Patrick was, and that future generations of his family would mark the milestones of their lives here in the sturdy walls, but I doubt he ever imagined his great-great-great grandson would return 200 years later as president of the United States of America,” he said.

“Isn’t that amazing.”

He also thanked Ballina for celebrating his election as president in 2020.

“You decked out the town I’m told in red, white and blue with cars and crowds gathered in the market square singing the green and the red of Mayo,” he said. “It means the world to me, it meant the world to me and my entire family to be embraced as Mayo Joe, son of Ballina.

“My mother, my grandmother – whose maiden name was Blewitt – would be smiling down on me right now.”

“Mayo for Sam”, Joe Biden shouted as he ended his speech in Ballina.

The words, a reference to the county’s long search for GAA All-Ireland glory, was met with cheers and applause.

22:22 , Sam Rkaina

We’re ending our live coverage of Joe Biden’s Irish tour for the night, but keep checking independent.co.uk for the latest updates.