Joe Biden receives warm welcome from waiting crowd in Dundalk visit
US President Joe Biden takes a selfie while on a walkabout through Dundalk, Co Louth, during his trip to the island of Ireland. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire
US president Joe Biden has greeted members of the public in Dundalk as his tour of Ireland began.
Mr Biden spent around 10 minutes greeting an excited crowd who screamed as he emerged from The Beast - the nickname for his motorcade.
Shouts of âWelcome home Joeâ could be heard as the president, wearing a navy baseball cap, took selfies with those who had waited in the pouring rain to see him.
Mr Biden went into McAteers The Food House restaurant on Clanbrassil Street shortly before 7.15pm.
It came after he had toured Carlingford Castle along with TĂĄnaiste MicheĂĄl Martin.
Local people turned out in numbers on motorway overpasses as well as lining road sides approaching the town despite heavy rain in an area Mr Biden has traced ancestral roots to.
There were cheers as the presidentâs distinctive car passed.
He was given a tour of King John's Castle in Carlingford by the TĂĄnaiste amid extremely wet conditions.
The castle offers a view of Carlingford Lough where Mr Bidenâs great-great grandfather Owen Finnegan left via Newry port during the Irish famine in 1849 for a new life in the United States.
As Mr Biden walked around the castle amid the rain, someone shouted up to ask him what he thought of the weather, to which the president quipped: âItâs fine, itâs Ireland.â
Mr Biden had been due to fly by helicopter from Dublin to Louth, but plans were changed to motorcade due to the weather conditions.
A visit to Kilwirra Cemetery, where his ancestors are buried, was also ruled out last minute due to the wet weather.
Some of the well wishers are holding US or Irish flags, and a poster reads âWelcome home cousin Joeâ
Air Force One landed in heavy rain and cold winds at Dublin Airport on Wednesday afternoon.
The President was greeted by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Ambassador of Ireland to the US Geraldine Byrne Nason. He was also met with around 250 US embassy staff and their families at the airport.
Mr Varadkar also greeted Secretary of State Antony Blinken as they alighted Air Force One.
Umbrellas were held for Mr Biden as he greeted each Irish dignitary in turn.
Writing on Twitter after the meeting, Mr Varadkar said it was a âreal pleasureâ to greet Mr Biden, adding: âLooking forward to a good discussion in Farmleigh tomorrow after his trip to County Louth.â
Real pleasure to welcome âŠ@POTUSâ© to Dublin today. Looking forward to a good discussion in Farmleigh tomorrow after his trip to County Louth pic.twitter.com/GlBRoq3aeX
— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) April 12, 2023
Mr Biden spent only four minutes on the tarmac before being escorted to the US presidential state car.
Before leaving the airport, the president met embassy staff and their children and thanked them for their service.
One child asked Mr Biden what they key to success was, to which he replied: âThe key to success is, whenever you disagree with someone, itâs OK to question their judgment on whether theyâre right or wrong, but it is never OK to question their motive.â âIf you question their motive, youâll never agree,â the president added.
Mr Biden had spent Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in Northern Ireland, where he met the British prime minister and made a speech at the new Ulster University campus in Belfast.
Mr Biden became the sixth person to travel through Dublin Airport while serving as US President, following Barack Obamaâs visit to the country in May 2011. The US presidentâs son Hunter Biden and sister Valerie Biden Owens are accompanying him for the trip.
While much of the historic visit will be focused on the President's own family history, he used his first keynote speech in Belfast on Wednesday to look to the future addressing a new generation who have grown up post-Good Friday Agreement.
After speaking over a morning cup of tea with British prime minister Rishi Sunak, it was fitting that Mr Biden chose Ulster University for his first major engagement.
Speaking directly to the young people of Northern Ireland he said peace had brought economic opportunities, but these opportunities were "just beginning" and a stable political situation would only progress this growth.
"Some of the biggest companies in the world have set up shop here, and now entrepreneurs with dreams to outcompete them are following," he said.
"I look forward to drawing on your energy and your ideas and to making sure that we bring prosperity to all corners of Northern Ireland.
"It's a future to be proud of," he told those in attendance.
Mr Biden is due to meet President Michael D Higgins on Thursday, followed by a further meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, whom he recently hosted for St Patrickâs Day.
The White House said Mr Biden will take part in a tree-planting ceremony and the ringing of the Peace Bell at Ăras an UachtarĂĄin.
Before his departure back to the US on Friday, Mr Biden will visit Co Mayo, where he has also connected with distant cousins.
He will tour the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock and visit the North Mayo Heritage and Genealogical Centreâs family history research unit.
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