Irish Examiner view: Joe Biden fails to match action with his talk of ancestral homeland

US president has not announced any plans to visit Ireland, he has not appointed an ambassador to Ireland and he has failed to appoint a US special envoy to the North

US president Joe Biden is keen to talk about being Irish at almost any opportunity but is slow to act on plans to visit Ireland and appoint a US ambassador in Dublin and a US special envoy to Northern Ireland. Picture: Andrew Harnik/AP

US president Joe Biden takes great pride in his Irish roots, which can be traced back to the Great Famine of the 1840s; he is also distant cousins with the Irish rugby player Rob Kearney. 

He is keen to talk about being Irish at almost any opportunity and he likes to reflect on the strong sense of pride he and his family share in their Irish heritage.