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| Joe Biden in Ireland: President says 'I'm at home' in speech | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Joe Biden arrives at Leinster House, the home of the Irish parliament | |
| US President Joe Biden has told elected representatives in the Republic of Ireland: "I'm at home". | |
| Mr Biden told the Irish parliament he has returned to his ancestral home and his only wish was he could stay longer. | |
| In his speech to a joint sitting of the Oireachtas (both houses of the Irish parliament), the president spoke of his pride in his Irish roots and support for the Good Friday Agreement. | |
| His address in Leinster House is one of a number of events on Thursday. | |
| "People of Ireland, it's so good to be back in Ireland," he said, making a remark in Irish which translates as: "I am home." | |
| Mr Biden went on to say that the United States was "shaped by Ireland". | |
| "The values that we share remain to this day - the core of our historic partnership between our people and our governments," he said. | |
| "As nations, we have known hardship and division, but we have also found solace and sympathy in one and other." | |
| Former Irish president Mary McAleese, former (Irish prime minister) taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the widow of the late poet Seamus Heaney are among those in attendance for the historic address. | |
| Stormont leaders such as Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill, the SDLP's Colum Eastwood and Naomi Long from Alliance are also in attendance. | |
| Joe Biden is only the fourth US president to ever address the Irish parliament after John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. | |
| Afterwards, President Biden will be the guest of honour at a state function in Dublin Castle, the former seat of British power in Ireland. | |
| Mr Biden began his working day with a visit to Áras an Uachtaráin - the home of the Irish president in Phoenix Park. | |
| President Biden inspected a military guard of honour, and signed the visitors' book. He also planted an oak tree and rang the Bell of Peace. | President Biden inspected a military guard of honour, and signed the visitors' book. He also planted an oak tree and rang the Bell of Peace. |
| The bell was erected in 2008 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. | The bell was erected in 2008 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. |
| After ringing the bell, President Biden gave it another ring, saying: "One more for peace". | After ringing the bell, President Biden gave it another ring, saying: "One more for peace". |
| He said he was feeling "great" and that he had "learned a lot from the president". | He said he was feeling "great" and that he had "learned a lot from the president". |
| President Higgins then gave President Biden a quick tour of the grounds around his official residence and introduced him to one of his dogs. | President Higgins then gave President Biden a quick tour of the grounds around his official residence and introduced him to one of his dogs. |
| The two men discussed the importance of the meeting 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, the strong connection between their two countries and their shared love of Irish poetry. | The two men discussed the importance of the meeting 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, the strong connection between their two countries and their shared love of Irish poetry. |
| One of Michael D Higgin's Bernese Mountain dogs was present when Joe Biden visited | |
| President Biden then met Leo Varadkar at nearby Farmleigh House. | |
| The two leaders shook hands and exchanged a few words before posing for pictures. | The two leaders shook hands and exchanged a few words before posing for pictures. |
| Mr Biden remarked that it was "a beautiful day", the weather a contrast to the conditions that greeted him as he arrived in Dublin on Wednesday. | |
| Taoiseach Varadkar (Irish PM) welcomes President Biden | Taoiseach Varadkar (Irish PM) welcomes President Biden |
| Taoiseach Varadkar (Irish PM) welcomes President Biden | Taoiseach Varadkar (Irish PM) welcomes President Biden |
| Mr Varadkar said it was "great" to have the US President back in Ireland and that the visit was going "very well". | Mr Varadkar said it was "great" to have the US President back in Ireland and that the visit was going "very well". |
| Mr Biden described the meeting as an opportunity to make "tremendous progress". | Mr Biden described the meeting as an opportunity to make "tremendous progress". |
| He said he was not just commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement - but also wanted to hail Ireland's "leadership" on world issues such as taking in Ukrainian refugees. | He said he was not just commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement - but also wanted to hail Ireland's "leadership" on world issues such as taking in Ukrainian refugees. |
| 'America and Europe working together' | 'America and Europe working together' |
| Speaking after the meeting, Mr Varadkar hailed the importance of both the US and European leadership, praising the vital role that the US has played in helping Ukraine since the Russian invasion last year. | Speaking after the meeting, Mr Varadkar hailed the importance of both the US and European leadership, praising the vital role that the US has played in helping Ukraine since the Russian invasion last year. |
| "Democracy and liberty and the things that we believe in are on retreat, or in retreat, in large parts of the world," Mr Varadkar said. | "Democracy and liberty and the things that we believe in are on retreat, or in retreat, in large parts of the world," Mr Varadkar said. |
| "If it wasn't for America and Europe working together, I don't know what kind of world we'd live in." | "If it wasn't for America and Europe working together, I don't know what kind of world we'd live in." |
| The US President rang the Bell of Peace, erected in 2008 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement | The US President rang the Bell of Peace, erected in 2008 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement |
| Live: President Biden's three-day visit to the Republic of Ireland | Live: President Biden's three-day visit to the Republic of Ireland |
| Earlier, Mr Biden said he had quoted an Irish proverb, in his message in the visitors' book - "your feet will bring you where your heart is", adding that it was "an honour to return". | Earlier, Mr Biden said he had quoted an Irish proverb, in his message in the visitors' book - "your feet will bring you where your heart is", adding that it was "an honour to return". |
| He made a reference to returning to the home of his ancestors, pledging to recommit to peace, equity and dignity. | He made a reference to returning to the home of his ancestors, pledging to recommit to peace, equity and dignity. |
| Mr Biden added: "I'm not going home. Isn't this an incredible place, all you American reporters, it's just like the White House, right?" | Mr Biden added: "I'm not going home. Isn't this an incredible place, all you American reporters, it's just like the White House, right?" |
| A delegation attending the event included Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) Micheál Martin, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and former Irish football star Paul McGrath. | A delegation attending the event included Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) Micheál Martin, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and former Irish football star Paul McGrath. |
| Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met President Biden at Farmleigh House in the sunshine | Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met President Biden at Farmleigh House in the sunshine |
| President Biden visited both Dundalk and his ancestral roots in the town of Carlingford in County Louth on Wednesday. | |
| Live: Biden meets Irish leaders in Dublin | Live: Biden meets Irish leaders in Dublin |
| Biden hails young people of NI on his Belfast visit | Biden hails young people of NI on his Belfast visit |
| Delicate diplomacy on show in Biden's Belfast trip | Delicate diplomacy on show in Biden's Belfast trip |
| Mr Biden met distant relatives in the Cooley Peninsula, where crowds lined the quayside as the presidential motorcade arrived. | Mr Biden met distant relatives in the Cooley Peninsula, where crowds lined the quayside as the presidential motorcade arrived. |
| Later in Dundalk, there were shouts of "welcome home, Joe" when Mr Biden arrived to address an audience at the town's Windsor Bar. | Later in Dundalk, there were shouts of "welcome home, Joe" when Mr Biden arrived to address an audience at the town's Windsor Bar. |
| He said Irish people were the "only people in the world in my view who are actually nostalgic about the future". | He said Irish people were the "only people in the world in my view who are actually nostalgic about the future". |
| President Biden took selfies with well-wishers who turned out in their thousands | President Biden took selfies with well-wishers who turned out in their thousands |
| Allow Twitter content? | Allow Twitter content? |
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| On Friday, the US President is expected to travel to County Mayo where he will again explore his Irish ancestry. | On Friday, the US President is expected to travel to County Mayo where he will again explore his Irish ancestry. |
| His great-great grandfather Edward Blewitt left Ireland around the time of the famine. | His great-great grandfather Edward Blewitt left Ireland around the time of the famine. |
| President Biden planted an oak tree in the grounds of Áras an Uachtaráin - the home of the Irish president in Phoenix Park | President Biden planted an oak tree in the grounds of Áras an Uachtaráin - the home of the Irish president in Phoenix Park |
| While in the county, the President, who is a Catholic, is also expected to visit shrine at Knock and to make an outdoor speech to people in Ballina before he ends his four-day visit to the island. | While in the county, the President, who is a Catholic, is also expected to visit shrine at Knock and to make an outdoor speech to people in Ballina before he ends his four-day visit to the island. |
| A US genealogist who researched Mr Biden's lineage had estimated he is "roughly five-eighths" Irish. | A US genealogist who researched Mr Biden's lineage had estimated he is "roughly five-eighths" Irish. |
| His great-great grandfather Owen Finnegan left there for America in the late 1840s. | His great-great grandfather Owen Finnegan left there for America in the late 1840s. |
| Declan Harvey and Tara Mills explore the text of the Good Friday Agreement - the deal which heralded the end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. | Declan Harvey and Tara Mills explore the text of the Good Friday Agreement - the deal which heralded the end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. |
| They look at what the agreement actually said and hear from some of the people who helped get the deal across the line. | They look at what the agreement actually said and hear from some of the people who helped get the deal across the line. |
| Listen to all episodes of Year '98: The Making of the Good Friday Agreement on BBC Sounds. | Listen to all episodes of Year '98: The Making of the Good Friday Agreement on BBC Sounds. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Leo Varadkar | Leo Varadkar |
| Republic of Ireland | Republic of Ireland |
| Good Friday Agreement | Good Friday Agreement |
| Joe Biden | Joe Biden |