A typical overcast Irish day was adorned with the doleful melody of bagpipes at an ancient castle, perfectly encapsulating the bittersweet essence of both Ireland and Joe Biden himself. The president, bursting with pride, couldn’t hide his enthusiasm, exclaiming, “It feels wonderful!” as he explored the historic Carlingford Castle, his great-great-grandfather Owen Finnegan’s last sight of the Emerald Isle before setting sail for New York in 1849. Biden felt right at home – and apparently, the Irish felt the same about him, with crowds gathering in the rainy streets, locals cramming into pubs for hours before his arrival, and fans lining the thoroughfares, chanting his name and affectionately hollering “Joe!” at their favorite visitor.
The president remained undaunted by the dismal weather, dismissing the showers with a sanguine “It’s fine. It’s Ireland.” In a whimsical voyage into the roots of his Irish ancestry, Biden, accompanied by his son and sister, indulged in memory-laden stopovers and evoked the emotions of his forebears with a characteristic twinkle in his eye. Marveling at the beauty of his surroundings, he couldn’t help but wonder aloud at the choices his ancestors made, quipping from within the confines of McAteers The Food House that he “doesn’t know why the hell [his] ancestors left here.” Later, at a bustling Windsor Bar and Restaurant, he echoed the sentiment with a touch of nostalgia: “When you’re here, you wonder why anyone would want to leave.”
Indeed, Biden takes his Irishness very seriously, often sweeping through the pages of history to the likes of JFK, to feel connected to the rich Irishness of past American presidents. Obama aside, few have had their identity so closely intertwined with their roots like Biden, who regularly quotes Irish poets and claims it was through reciting their work that he overcame a childhood stutter. Not to mention his mother’s vast repertoire of Irish expressions that he lovingly attributes to his Irish Catholic upbringing.
Finally, the president lifted the veil on the last essential ingredient of his Irish heritage – hope. His words resonated with the crowd, as he passionately declared his love for his homeland: “I think we all are, no matter where we live if we have Irish blood in us, and it’s because more than anything, more than anything, in my experience, hope is what beats in the heart of all people, particularly in the heart of the Irish.” As his Irish adventure draws to a close, Biden looks forward to many more homecomings, quipping to his new admirers, “there’s no way to keep us out!”
