Biden waves goodbye to Ireland in front of cathedral built by his great-great-great-grandfather
Biden waves goodbye to Ireland in front of cathedral built by his great-great-grandfather: Thousands listen to president tell MORE stories about his ancestors after family tour with Hunter and sister Valerie
- Friday was the last day of Biden’s four-day visit to Ireland and Northern Ireland
- He concluded the visit with a rousing speech in Ballina, the home of his ancestors
President Joe Biden rounded off his visit to Ireland with a rousing speech celebrating his Irish heritage to a boisterous crowd outside a cathedral in western Ireland with deep family ties.
As he did on his four-day trip here, Biden weaved remarks about hard work and the spirit of immigrants with recitations about his ancestors leaving Ireland behind to start a new life in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
He recalled that ancestor Edward Blewitt once sold 27,000 bricks supporting St. Muredach’s Cathedral in County Mayo, where Biden staged a speech to tens of thousands of cheering Irish fans.
“In 1828 he was paid 21 pounds and 12 shillings to help deliver bricks for this cathedral,” Biden said of his great-great-great-grandfather.
President Joe Biden addressed a crowd of thousands on the last day of his trip to Ireland
“I doubt he ever imagined his great-great-grandson returning as president of the United States of America 200 years later. Is not that great?’ he asked, to cheers.
Organizers say some 20,000 people were packed into the area in front of the cathedral and across the River Moy.
In a speech with no central organizing theme, Biden ran through the greatest hits of his journey, running through familiar phrases from the power of “possibility” and ushering in the “fierce pride in our Irish heritage” of many Americans who claim Irish to have origins.
The cathedral was lit up to the tip of the spire, sending shards of light into the dark night.
And Biden started with the kind of roar reserved for rock stars.
It brought a carnival-like end to a four-day visit that saw Biden spend as much time meeting relatives and connecting with his Irish heritage as he did official meetings.
Biden spoke to Irish-American ties during his speech
On Friday, he spent the day in County Mayo, where the Blewitt branch of his mother’s family once lived.
He was given a stone from his ancestors’ house in Ballina, a short walk from the cathedral.
He previously visited Knock Shrine, a sacred pilgrimage site for Catholics from around the world.
It had a more personal connection for Biden.
“We also met a former military chaplain, Father O’Grady, out of the blue, who gave my son final rituals at Walter Reed Medical Center,” the president said.
“It was incredible to see him, it seemed like a sign.”
Earlier, his host, Father Richard Gibbons, described how Biden burst into sobs during the meeting.
“He cried, it really touched him and then we said a prayer, we said a tenner of the rosary for his family,” he told the BBC.
“He lit a candle and then took a moment or two of himself for prayer.”