Vice President Joe Biden will visit Ireland this year, he told Irish leader Enda Kenny at a St.Patrick’s week breakfast yesterday at the vice presidential residence.
The breakfast was delayed after Biden missed the St. Patrick’s Day White House bash as he was attending the inaugural mass for Pope Francis I.
The news of the Irish visit came as Biden travels to New York today to be inaugurated into the Irish America Hall of Fame hosted by our sister publication Irish America magazine.
Prime Minister Enda Kenny welcomed the news of the visit by the vice president who has Louth and Mayo roots
"I am very glad to hear you say you are coming to Ireland this year. Just to say that publicly, so those of you down there in the fourth estate know: Biden is on his way."
Biden’s great grandfather on his mother’s side, James Finnegan, came from Cooley, County Louth and was a blind musician. He also has roots in Co. Mayo.
Kenny stated the VP was looking forward to his Irish trip.
"The vice president will come to Ireland this year and we hope that we can have a little round on the golf course if we get an opportunity," he said.
Biden and Kenny also discussed immigration reform and the prospects for a comprehensive bill later this year.
Biden joked that a check of his genealogy discovered he is five-eighths Irish and said his mother was told not to hold it against his father for being English.
Biden will be inaugurated into the Hall of Fame alongside former Congressman Bruce Morrison, Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, businessman Bob Devlin and art collector and philanthropist Brian Burns and American Ireland Fund’s new chairman-elect John FitzPatrick in New York today.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.harp579 | Mar 22, 2013, 02:38 PM EDT
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handsome68 | Mar 21, 2013, 07:01 PM EDT
How sad for Ireland to have to host Mr. Biden. It is bad enough that we here in the US of A have to bear (with) him. That Ireland, the country of my forebears, should have to, is distressful to learn. Still, Ireland has come back from worse than him. My suggestion to Ireland: tape his mouth shut, only to be opened when he needs to eat and drink, maybe once a day. Alternatively, keep the (large) tape on, since I understand people can be fed through a tube.
STEVENSTAR | Mar 21, 2013, 02:25 PM EDT
@jamieLM | Mar 21, 2013, 10:13 AM EDT >>>>>>>> DONT BOTHER GETTIN STROPPY WITH ME MATE.. IM JUST SAYING THERE IS NO POINT IN HIM COMING ALL THE WAY OVER HERE TO IRELAND.. WE DONT WANT HIM AND WE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF HIM AND I HOPE IF HE DOES COME HIS VISIT WONT BE FINANCED WITH MY IRISH TAXES..
jamieLM | Mar 21, 2013, 10:13 AM EDT
@StevenALLCAPS, stop your whining, you big baby. The world doesn't revolve around you. You must be living under a rock to have "never heard" of Biden. Well, I guess that doesn't surprise me about you. If the Irish people don't want to see Biden, that's up to them. You can see someone, though, without fawning all over them.
STEVENSTAR | Mar 21, 2013, 08:47 AM EDT
WHO IS HE ? IM IRISH LIVE OVER HERE IN IRELAND AND NEVER EVEN HEARD OF THIS MAN LIKE MOST OTHER IRISH HAVENT EVEN HEARD OF HIM !! BIT OF A WASTER JOURNEY ALL THE WAY OVER HERE FOR WHAT ??
antoman | Mar 21, 2013, 08:28 AM EDT
This is puzzling. I can understand people getting dressed up and combing their hair to meet or see Obama because he is the President of America and its not often they come here to Ireland. But Biden is like the spare President. Not the real deal like. You wouldn't pay good money to enter a gallery to view a fake Picasso now would you? I don't know. We Irish don't do this celebrity fawning thing well. I suppose some people will show up. Others will briefly pause and look before getting back to doing the shopping.