Celebrations underway across Mayo as Joe Biden is elected US President
The champagne corks are popping across Mayo this evening following confirmation of Joe Biden's election as President of the United States.
The Democrat's great-great grandfather on his father's side emigrated from Knockmore to America almost 200 years at the age of 18.
A mural in his honour holds pride of place at Market Square in the town.
After its unveiling, Mr. Biden vowed to revisit Ballina in the event of him winning the election.
During a visit to Mayo as US vice-president in June 2016, he met a number of his relatives in Ballina and Knockmore, including Joe and Laurita Blewitt.
His cousin Joe, who visited the White House a number of years ago, had been confident of a Biden victory since the outset of the campaign.
Newly-elected President Biden has friends across Mayo.
He performed the sod-turning ceremony of the new Mayo Roscommon Hospice palliative care facility at Knockaphunta, Castlebar, in September 2017 after giving a commitment to do so during his visit to the county the previous year.
It was a poignant moment for him as his son, Beau, had died from cancer in 2015.
The commitment was given to his cousin Laurita Blewitt, fundraising manager for the Hospice at the time.
When the magnificent facility was officially opened in October 2019, he recorded a video message congratulating the organisation for their outstanding work in providing it.
During a visit to Castlebar in June 2016, Mr. Biden was presented with an honorary membership of Castlebar Golf Club by club officials.
On the occasion, he played the course with then Taoiseach Enda Kenny and spent time meeting, chatting and having photographs taken with members.
It was, in fact, an invitation from Mr. Kenny during a St. Patrick's Day visit to the White House some years earlier that led to Mr. Biden discovering his full Irish genealogy.
He also visited the Linenhall Arts Centre to view an exhibition of images by local photographer Alison Laredo captured during the Same Sex Marriage Referendum campaign in May 2015.
Mr. Biden stood for over an hour on Linenhall Street to talk and shake hands with people before dropping into Coady's Public House for refreshments with Enda Kenny and watching a soccer international between the Republic of Ireland and Italy in Euro 2016.
He certainly made a big impression on the people of Mayo during his two visits to the county in 2016 and 2017.
Now, as the newly-elected president of the US, a return visit would require tremendous planning and organisation.
But it would represent a massive public relations coup for the county.