Irish town sad to lose White House link with Joe Biden stepping down – but hope to see him soon

People in Joe Biden’s Irish ancestral homeland said they “sad to see him go” as president.

Mr Biden, who has frequently expressed pride in his Irish ancestry, has made repeated trips to Ireland in recent years.

Rebecca Birch, restaurant manager of Fitzpatrick’s Bar in Jenkinstown, Co Louth, said locals are hoping they can welcome the 81-year-old back after he announced he would not be seeking re-election as president.

Mr Biden stopped at the bar in 2016 while on a trip with his family to explore their ancestry in the Cooley Peninsula.

Ms Birch, who is local to the area, said she was 16 when the then-US vice president visited the bar.

She said there was a “great atmosphere” ahead of his arrival.

Ms Birch said: “I was with my mam and dad. It was a lovely sunny day, people had been talking about it for weeks. There was a lot of buzz in the area at the time.

“I’d never seen anything like it, the presidential cars coming in. It was crazy, there were so many people about. It was just a really exciting time to have him here.”

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Ms Birch said there were mixed reactions following his decision to pull out of the race.

“It is a shame because he had a great term, he did an awful lot for America.

“We’re such a small town and to have a connection to somebody in office, the president of America, that’s such a big deal.

“Everyone here has a story about Joe Biden being in the community and to have that connection to the White House is really special.

“Unfortunately, we’re not going to have that any more but I wish him all the best and I hope its the right decision for him and hopefully he can relax after stepping down.”

Ms Birch said there were hopes that Mr Biden could visit the area more frequently, adding: “He won’t be in office anymore, not so busy running America, so hopefully he’ll visit us more because I know he does quite like it.

“We’d love to have him back.”

In 2023, the US president’s tour of Ireland saw him retrace his ancestral roots, with visits to Louth as well as Co Mayo.

Mr Biden’s grandfather, James Finnegan, was born in Co Louth while his great-great-great grandfather, Edward Blewitt, hailed from Ballina in Mayo.

On Sunday, Irish premier Simon Harris thanked the US president for his “friendship” to Ireland.

He said Mr Biden had expressed a “fierce pride” in his Irish ancestry and had acted as a voice for “reason, effective multi-lateralism and shared solutions”.

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“Joe Biden, in all the offices he has held, has always been an unwavering voice and passionate worker for peace on the island of Ireland and our country owes him a great debt for this,” he said.

“On a personal level, President Biden is a proud American with an Irish soul. When he arrived into Belfast, Louth and Mayo last year, he himself said it was like coming home.

“The outpouring of love and support from the public, even in the pouring Irish rain, from Carlingford to Ballina was testament to how highly the president is held in his ancestral home.”