The Biden Bypass?

A LASTING tribute to US President Joe Biden should be considered to thank him for making his historic trip west to Mayo an overwhelming success.
An crowd of around 27,000 people lined the banks of the River Moy on Friday evening to witness President Biden deliver a historic address in front of St Murdedach’s Cathedral in Ballina.
This was the first time a sitting US president has visited Mayo. President Biden, whose great great great grandfather, Edward Blewitt, came from Ballina, delighted the crowd when he said his visit to the north Mayo capital ‘feels like coming home’.
Cathaoirleach of the Ballina Municipal District, Cllr Mark Duffy who along with former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, introduced the President to the crowd, now believes that Mayo should do something to thank the president for coming to the county.
“President Biden made the decision to come to Ballina… he could have stayed in Dublin but he said, no, this is where I want to go. It took a lot of bravery and a lot of logistical planning to come to Mayo.
“That connection should be celebrated. I would love to see some recognition of that because even in terms of PR and marketing, it is multimillion euro in terms of value already. But equally, the good will and spirit it brought is unquantifiable… President Biden is so proud of his heritage and roots in the county, it is only fitting we do something for him,” Cllr Duffy told The Mayo News.

Presidential precedent
In Co Wexford, a number of public amenities have been named after former US President John F Kennedy after he visited his ancestral home in 1963. In Moneygall, Co Offaly, the local service station along the motorway was named the Barack Obama Plaza.
In President Biden’s hometown of Scanton Pennsylvania, the Central Scranton Expressway was renamed President Biden Expressway and Spruce Street in the city was renamed Biden Street after his election as the 46th President of the United States.
President Biden’s cavalcade was one of the group of vehicles to drive along the new N5 dual carriage way when he travelled from Knock to Castlebar.
The new N5 is due to be opened in the coming weeks, and Cllr Duffy said that naming the new road after President Biden may be a suggestion. However, the councillor feels that the general public should decide what form the gesture should take.
“If it might be considered it might be a nice touch, considering the fact he was one of the first to go down it. Or maybe [it could be] something more local in Ballina.
“People should come forward with ideas and suggestions and get political consensus for some proposal to name something and acknowledge him for his contribution to Irish-American relations and his own connections in Mayo. It would be only fitting. I don’t think there is a reason to delay, but we should do it once and do it well whatever we do,” he said.

‘Off the charts’
During his address to the people of Ballina, President Biden noted that the town is the home of Ireland’s first female President Mary Robinson and possibly Ireland’s first astronaut in Norah Patten. He also congratulated Ballina on celebrating its tricentenary.
Anne-Marie Flynn, the Marketing Manager of Ballina 2023, said the town could not have asked for better publicity for the upcoming celebrations.
“We’re still on a bit of a high here in Ballina after an event that surpassed even all our own expectations on Friday night,” she told The Mayo News. 
“We in Ballina 2023 have been working closely with the US Embassy and the Department of Foreign Affairs over the last few weeks to plan and deliver the event, but I don’t think even we could have anticipated the scale and grandeur of the event nor the level of coverage it generated around the world.
“That coverage is hugely significant on many levels; firstly, it shines a light on our town the world over, putting us on the map at a global level. It was reported last week that the Biden visit had prompted a significant spike in transatlantic hotel bookings in Ireland, and we would certainly hope to share in the benefit that such bookings would bring to the local economy here in Ballina.
“Ballina can hold its head high and be proud of itself for shining so brightly on the world stage. The mood in town is still one of joy and delight, and the sense of pride is really off the charts.”

Biden’s corner
While saying they were unaware of any plans to honour President Biden by naming something after him, two local brothers have already ticked that box. The Duffy brothers, Eoin and Thomas, converted an old filling station forecourt to a brand new drive-through coffee stop last week to coincide with the influx of world media and visitors.
Located on the corner of Emmet St and Dillon Terrace across the river from where the President delivered his remarks, the address on the canopy of the new ‘Jimmy’s Coffee’ reads ‘The Biden Corner’.
Towards the end of President Biden’s address on Friday, he referenced about how he had never been so optimistic about the future especially for young people. Cllr Duffy said that he hoped that the legacy of President Biden’s visit will inspire the many young people who were in attendance to see and hear him.
“To have such a positive, energising, uplifting moment for everyone to celebrate and enjoy was very special. It was a privilege to be part of and be there. To see that symbolism and spirit of hope on Friday breaths light into a new generation of people to believe in themselves and in County Mayo and what we can achieve here. That will help inspire younger people, and I hope it will be part of the legacy,” he commented.