BELFAST, Northern Ireland — President Biden will mark a quarter-century of relative peace in Northern Ireland on Wednesday as he begins a four-day foreign tour during which he will explore his own roots and celebrate America’s deep connection with the people of Ireland.
As he departed from the United States, Mr Biden said his goal on the trip was “to make sure the Irish treaties and the Windsor deal are upheld, to keep the peace.”
“That’s the most important thing,” he said, referring to the agreements that helped end decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.
The President arrived at Air Force One late on Tuesday evening, Belfast time, and was greeted on a cold, rainy runway by Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister; James Senior, commander of the 38th Irish Brigade & the Northern Irish garrison; and half a dozen other officials.
Mr. Biden is away from the first president claims to have Irish ancestry, and he is certainly not the only one among American politicians to embrace Emerald Island. But he might be the most pompous, ever adapting a James Joyce line by saying that when he dies, “Ireland will be written on my soul.”
Things to know about ‘trouble’
A history of violence. “Trouble” is a term used to describe the decades-long sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland, an area considered a majority Protestant enclave that was under British sovereignty when the Communists ruled. The Republic of Ireland became self-governing in the 1920s. The conflict pitted those who wanted reunification with Ireland — mostly Catholics, known as nationalists and republicans — against those who wanted to. this territory is still part of Great Britain — mostly Protestants, known as unionists and Loyalists.
For most of his stay in Ireland this week, Mr Biden will embark on an emotional trip through rural Ireland, where his ancestors lived before crossing the Atlantic. He will visit castles and perhaps a pub or two in County Louth – home to the Finnegans and Kearneys, his ancestors on the other side of the family – and tour a temple and a cathedral in County Mayo, where he will meet some of the remaining Blewitts, his ancestors on the other side.
Mr. Biden was accompanied on the trip to Ireland by Valerie Biden Owens, his sister, and Hunter Biden, his son. Both traveled from the United States with the president on Air Force One.
Before leaving for the three days of the president’s ancestry, Mr. Biden will make a brief stop in Belfast to 25th anniversary recognition of the Good Friday Agreement, a peace treaty that ended decades of bloody sectarian violence between Northern Ireland factions. It was negotiated with the help of the United States, ushering in political power sharing and largely ending political violence.
During a speech at the Ulster University campus in Belfast, Mr Biden is expected to hail the Good Friday Agreement as a model for how the US can play a constructive role in help settle conflicts around the world.
John F. Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said the visit to Belfast “will underscore the United States’ willingness to uphold those interests and support its enormous economic potential. Northern Ireland for the benefit of all communities. “President Biden cares deeply about Northern Ireland and has a long history of advocating for peace and prosperity there.”
How Times reporters cover politics. We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times employees can vote, they are not allowed to support or campaign for political candidates or causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies to support a movement or raise money or raise money for any political candidate or electoral cause.
In Belfast, Mr. Biden will have the opportunity to meet privately with the leaders of Northern Ireland’s political parties. The president’s visit takes place against the backdrop of Explosion of political violence put the city police on high alert.
Mr Kirby downplayed concerns about the president’s safety while in Belfast.
“We never talked about security requirements to protect the president,” he said. “But the president is very comfortable making this trip, and he’s excited to do it.”
After leaving Belfast on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Biden will spend less time on policy, although he will address the Irish parliament and chair discussions with the country’s president and prime minister. White House officials said those discussions would cover “a variety of interests” between the two countries, including economic cooperation and efforts to help Ukraine fend off Russian aggression.
But even White House officials have made little effort to describe Mr Biden’s trip as a policy one. They say it’s the president’s personal business, and that most of his time will be spent in the countryside – with his sister and son among the many employees, Secret Service and media in the country. long motorcade of the president.
In Louth, Mr. Biden will pay tribute to Owen Finnegan, his great-grandfather, who was a shoemaker and immigrated to the United States in 1849, along with other family members. Rob Kearney, a retired professional football player living in County Louth who is Biden’s fifth cousin, was once removed. Both are related to John Finnegan and Mary Kearney, once Biden’s great-grandfather.
In Mayo County, the president will visit the Family History Research Unit at the North Mayo Heritage and Genealogy Center, which has assembled a genealogical database of more than 1.2 million records to track ancestors of the people in the county.
For Mr. Biden, that history includes Edward Blewitt and Mary Mulderg (who is also known as Mary Reddington), his great-grandfather. Mr. Biden will visit St. Muredach, was built partly from thousands of bricks that, according to the White House, Mr. Blewitt sold in 1828. Mr. Blewitt used the proceeds from the sale to buy tickets for himself and his colleagues. The family sailed to the United States aboard the SS Excelsior in 1851.
Mr Biden’s visit is not his first personal trip to Ireland. In 2016, in his final months as vice president, Biden spent six days traveling through rural Ireland. He was awarded an honorary doctor of law from Trinity College and gave a speech at Dublin Castle.
This time, Mr. Biden will speak at St. Muredach Friday night before boarding Air Force One for an overnight flight back to Washington.
