Biden visit – latest: US president wraps up Ireland tour after tearful meeting with priest
US president also visited the hospice dedicated to his late son Beau
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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.
Biden thanks Varadkar for hospitality and friendship
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
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
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.
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.
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