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| Joe Biden in Ireland: President concludes visit in County Mayo | Joe Biden in Ireland: President concludes visit in County Mayo |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| US President Joe Biden will return to County Mayo on Friday | US President Joe Biden will return to County Mayo on Friday |
| US President Joe Biden will return to his roots in County Mayo on Friday on the final day of his visit to Ireland. | US President Joe Biden will return to his roots in County Mayo on Friday on the final day of his visit to Ireland. |
| Mr Biden has links to the county through his great grandfather Edward Blewitt. | Mr Biden has links to the county through his great grandfather Edward Blewitt. |
| The president is due to speak at a homecoming celebration outside St Muredach's Cathedral in the town of Ballina on Friday night. | The president is due to speak at a homecoming celebration outside St Muredach's Cathedral in the town of Ballina on Friday night. |
| A crowd of up to 20,000 people are expected to line the streets of the town for the event. | A crowd of up to 20,000 people are expected to line the streets of the town for the event. |
| It is thought that the president will be presented with a brick from a fireplace that is the last surviving piece of his ancestral home in the town. | |
| The mayor of Ballina, Mark Duffy, said people were eagerly awaiting the president's arrival. | The mayor of Ballina, Mark Duffy, said people were eagerly awaiting the president's arrival. |
| The town of Ballina in County Mayo will welcome President Biden on Friday | The town of Ballina in County Mayo will welcome President Biden on Friday |
| "This is a homecoming event, it's a welcome home where he has family and friends in the area," he told BBC News NI. | "This is a homecoming event, it's a welcome home where he has family and friends in the area," he told BBC News NI. |
| "I hope there is respect given to that because they are true ties, they are sincere links, it's not engineered, it's not fabricated. | "I hope there is respect given to that because they are true ties, they are sincere links, it's not engineered, it's not fabricated. |
| "It's meaningful for the president, it's meaningful for the people here in town." | "It's meaningful for the president, it's meaningful for the people here in town." |
| The people of Ballina have been preparing for the visit all week | |
| Mags Downey Martin of Ballina Chamber of Commerce said it was "an epic, unbelievable, out of this world experience for Ballina". | Mags Downey Martin of Ballina Chamber of Commerce said it was "an epic, unbelievable, out of this world experience for Ballina". |
| "I mean you can't quantify it. You cannot say what it means for us," she said. | "I mean you can't quantify it. You cannot say what it means for us," she said. |
| "On the one hand, it's a very monumental day - we're welcoming the President Joe Biden back. He was here in 2016 as VP [vice president], had a lovely walk about the town, thoroughly enjoyed it and all the locals got to meet him and shake his hand. | "On the one hand, it's a very monumental day - we're welcoming the President Joe Biden back. He was here in 2016 as VP [vice president], had a lovely walk about the town, thoroughly enjoyed it and all the locals got to meet him and shake his hand. |
| "This is a very different experience this time, but equally extremely important and symbolic that he's decided to come back to Ballina, come back to his home in County Mayo." | "This is a very different experience this time, but equally extremely important and symbolic that he's decided to come back to Ballina, come back to his home in County Mayo." |
| I'm at home, Biden says during historic Irish visit | I'm at home, Biden says during historic Irish visit |
| 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 |
| 'You'd know Joe Biden is Irish - he's good craic' | 'You'd know Joe Biden is Irish - he's good craic' |
| Mr Biden will make a couple of stops on the way to Ballina, including at Knock Shrine in the county. | Mr Biden will make a couple of stops on the way to Ballina, including at Knock Shrine in the county. |
| The shrine is a holy site and pilgrimage site for Catholics. | The shrine is a holy site and pilgrimage site for Catholics. |
| In 1879 locals said they saw an apparition of Mary, Joseph, John the Evangelist, angels and an altar with a cross and a lamb (representing Jesus). | In 1879 locals said they saw an apparition of Mary, Joseph, John the Evangelist, angels and an altar with a cross and a lamb (representing Jesus). |
| Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage there in 1979 to mark the centennial of the apparition. According to Irish tourism sites, 1.5m pilgrims visit Knock Shrine every year. | Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage there in 1979 to mark the centennial of the apparition. According to Irish tourism sites, 1.5m pilgrims visit Knock Shrine every year. |
| The president will also visit the North Mayo Heritage Centre. | The president will also visit the North Mayo Heritage Centre. |
| Its family history research unit works with people around the world who want to trace their ancestry from Mayo. | Its family history research unit works with people around the world who want to trace their ancestry from Mayo. |
| Locals hope President Biden will pose for a selfie by this pop-art mural | |
| Gardai [Irish police] in County Mayo have announced a number of traffic restrictions surrounding the presidential visit. | Gardai [Irish police] in County Mayo have announced a number of traffic restrictions surrounding the presidential visit. |
| Diversions will be in place on the Westport side of Castlebar Town from 12:00 local time to 17:00 and there will be restrictions on the N17 between Charlestown and Claremorris and the N5 between Charlestown and Castlebar. | Diversions will be in place on the Westport side of Castlebar Town from 12:00 local time to 17:00 and there will be restrictions on the N17 between Charlestown and Claremorris and the N5 between Charlestown and Castlebar. |
| Access to Mayo University Hospital will be affected by traffic diversions. | Access to Mayo University Hospital will be affected by traffic diversions. |
| In Ballina, from 10:00 on Friday until after the event in the town finishes, access will be restricted to local residents and business workers only. | In Ballina, from 10:00 on Friday until after the event in the town finishes, access will be restricted to local residents and business workers only. |
| On Thursday, President Biden declared he was home as he made an historic address to the Irish Parliament. | On Thursday, President Biden declared he was home as he made an historic address to the Irish Parliament. |
| In his speech to a joint sitting of the Oireachtas (both houses of the Irish parliament), he spoke of his pride in his Irish roots and support for the peace process in Northern Ireland. | In his speech to a joint sitting of the Oireachtas (both houses of the Irish parliament), he spoke of his pride in his Irish roots and support for the peace process in Northern Ireland. |
| He said the UK "should be working closer" with Ireland to support Northern Ireland. | He said the UK "should be working closer" with Ireland to support Northern Ireland. |
| Mr Biden and Taoiseach (prime minister) Leo Varadkar outside Dublin Castle on Thursday night | Mr Biden and Taoiseach (prime minister) Leo Varadkar outside Dublin Castle on Thursday night |
| Mr Biden travelled to Northern Ireland on Tuesday night and spoke at an event at Ulster University in Belfast. | Mr Biden travelled to Northern Ireland on Tuesday night and spoke at an event at Ulster University in Belfast. |
| He then travelled to County Louth on Wednesday afternoon before a series of engagements in Dublin on Thursday, including meeting Irish President Michael D Higgins at his official residence Áras an Uachtaráin. | He then travelled to County Louth on Wednesday afternoon before a series of engagements in Dublin on Thursday, including meeting Irish President Michael D Higgins at his official residence Áras an Uachtaráin. |
| On Thursday night he attended a state dinner at Dublin Castle. | On Thursday night he attended a state dinner at Dublin Castle. |
| President Biden received a standing ovation as he once again spoke about the special relationship between Ireland and the US. | President Biden received a standing ovation as he once again spoke about the special relationship between Ireland and the US. |
| The president will return to America from Ireland West Airport in Knock on Friday night. | The president will return to America from Ireland West Airport in Knock on Friday night. |
| 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 |
| Republic of Ireland | Republic of Ireland |
| Good Friday Agreement | Good Friday Agreement |
| Joe Biden | Joe Biden |