Excitement building as Biden approaches Ballina

Oisín McGovern

Excitement is building as the countdown continues to President Joe Biden’s return to Ballina.  Thousands have gathered in the North Mayo capital to see the 46th President, who is due to speak outside St Muredach’s cathedral after 9pm.
Queues of hundreds formed before gates opened at 5.30pm this evening. Local businessman Anthony Heffernan told The Mayo News this evening that business has been ‘unreal’ for the entire week.

“We’ve been a great two weeks on the back of him,” said Mr Heffernan, owner of the Heffernan’s Fine Foods, which Biden visited while serving as US Vice-President.

‘Genuineness’
Swinford woman Julie Doyle​, who has been involved with the Mayo Association in Dublin, described the occasion as ‘emotional’.
“I’m going to see a wonderful homecoming of one of Mayo’s most famous sons,” she told The Mayo News, “and it’s a very emotional day for anybody in the county who has been affected by emigration to see somebody come home and have realised the American dream. We’re here to celebrate that.” ​
Tubbercurry woman Niamh Walsh said: “The fact that he’s coming to the west is such a big occasion. Sometimes we miss out to Dublin getting all the big events. It’s great that someone so powerful is coming to Ballina for the day. There’s buzz and excitement around the place in the last couple of days.”
Mayo Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh described the occasion as ‘a wonderful day’ for Ballina and Mayo.
“As we’re standing here the queues are getting longer and longer,” she told The Mayo News. “Hearing Joe Biden speak yesterday, the real sense of genuineness about him being happy to be here – ‘sa bhaile’ – as he said, I think that’s very genuine. I think it will do a huge amount for the county of Mayo and for Ballina,” she added.

Presidents’ tears
Earlier today, President Biden visited Knock Shrine, where he broke down in tears after meeting Fr Frank O’Grady, who administered The Last Rites to his late son Beau.
He later visited Castlebar’s Mayo Hospice palliative care facility, where he turned the sod when he visited as a private citizen in 2017.

He is expected to arrive at shortly at the North Mayo Heritage and Genealogical Centre in Enniscoe, where he is due to meet with the centre’s family research unit.