‘A moment in time’

Anton McNulty

THE US Ambassador to Ireland believes that President Joe Biden’s visit to Ballina on Friday will be a once in a generation event, similar to JFK’s visit to Ireland in 1963.
US President Joe Biden will make a landmark address outside St Muredach’s Cathedral on his visit to Ballina on Friday evening as part of his official visit to Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The public who wish to witness the historic occasion are asked to register their interest with the US embassy and the US Ambassador, Claire Cronin is encouraging families not to miss out on a ‘once in a generation’ moment.
“I am really excited because I feel this is going to be a moment in time. No President has ever given a major address in Mayo, and particularly one with Mayo roots. This is a wonderful opportunities for so many families in particular in Mayo.

“I know if I was home with my kids and the President of the United States was coming I would make sure we went as a family,” she said on her visit to Ballina last week.
Ambassador Cronin took up her role of US Ambassador to Ireland in February 2022 having been appointed by President Biden and she said that there was never any question that he would not visit Mayo as part of his official trip.
Speaking to local media, Ambassador Cronin said she was very excited about the President’s visit and she could also feel the excitement among the public around Ballina.
“I’m really excited about it. This is really historic and I feel so optimistic about the trip itself but I feel emboldened and excited about the response I see from the Irish people about the impending trip.
“It is significant in many ways. If you look at the relationships between our two countries. The foundation is our ancestral relationships and the trade and investment is the glue that keeps us together. A trip like this will have a significant impact on the economy but there after it will spread tourism to this area as well. The benefits are significant to the community.
“I have no doubt it will be shown and there will be a great amount of interest in the States. This is a really big deal,” she said.

Ever changing schedule
While it has been confirmed that President Biden will give a public address on the banks of the Moy there is very little information on what else he will do in Ballina and Ambassador Cronin said the schedule is ever changing.
“The schedule in Ballina is still fluid. The biggest hurdle for us was to decide where the speech will be held and we have many suggestions of where he might stop and we are still reviewing them all. It is still very fluid and could be up until the day before.”
A native of Brockton, Massachusetts, Ambassador Cronin’s has strong Irish roots with her father’s family coming from Inishowen in Co Donegal and her mother’s side coming from Cork and Clare.
She said as a child growing up in Massachusetts in an Irish American family, a picture of JFK was always hanging on the wall and President Biden’s visit to Ireland will be closely following by Irish Americans.
“This trip is creating memories for not just this generation but for the next. This is an Irish American President who has a deep love and affection for this country. It is not cursory... this runs deep and there is no one who loves Irish culture and history and Irish music and poetry and the values we share as a country than President Biden.
“This visit is huge. I remember as a child if your grew in Boston in the 1960s you had a picture of the Pope and John F Kennedy on your wall so it is never lost on me the significance of President Kennedy’s visit here as someone who comes from Massachusetts. In the same way with President Biden coming here. There are so many places within the United States where the President has a close connection to…[the visit] will be well covered.”
As well as the historical context of the visit, Ambassador Cronin added that the President’s trip to Ireland will underscore the importance of the Good Friday Agreement as well as the economic ties between the two countries.
“The trade and investment between our countries is very significant. One fact I’m not sure people are aware of is Ireland is the ninth largest foreign direct investor in the United States. We often talk about our relationship of what the United States has invested in Ireland but it is very much a two-way street and that is a story that needs to be told,” she said.