Excitement growing in Mayo at planned visit by US President Joe Biden
EXCITEMENT is starting to build in Ballina at the potential for a visit in the near future by US President Joe Biden.
President Biden intends to visit Ireland next month for the 25th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement.
With ancestral links to Ireland – his great-great-great-grandfather, Edward Blewitt, emigrated from Ballina after the Great Famine and settled in Scranton, Pennsylvania, while his great-great-grandfather Owen Finnegan left the Cooley Peninsula in Co. Louth for Seneca, New York, in the 1840s – and a propensity to speak with pride about his Irish heritage, it is hoped that President Biden will make a visit to north Mayo while in the country.
As US Vice President in the Barack Obama administration, Joe Biden spent six days in Ireland during June 2016. On that occasion he visited both Mayo and Louth.
Anticipating a return visit to north Mayo, the cathaoirleach of Ballina Municipal District, Councillor Mark Duffy, said the town needs as much funding as possible to put its best foot forward if and when President Biden arrives.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the town, a once-in-a-generation event for the country. A deep clean is needed, and we need multi-departmental support for this visit,” he said at the March monthly meeting of Ballina MD.
Councillor Seamus Weir, the current Mayo County Council cathaoirleach, said Knockmore could benefit from a clean-up too as President Biden might visit the village when his closest local relatives, the Blewitts, still reside.
There could be huge spin-off from a visit by President Biden, said Councillor Annie May Reape. “We have one chance, so we need the funding now. It's a great opportunity for us.”
Councillor John O'Hara said Mayo as a whole will get a lot of exposure from his visit and he called on the county council to to provide funding to help spruce up Ballina for the potential visit.
“It's the best publicity we are ever going to get so I'm asking the council for money now,” he said.
Noting that the Mary Robinson Centre won't be ready for an official opening, Councillor Michael Loftus said there could neverthless be an opportunity for President Biden to perform a ceremonial opening of the facility.
He also said that this was an opportunity for the council to pursue the Department of Justice for funding to maintain the CCTV cameras in town on an ongoing basis.
On the idea of making the visit a big event for Ballina, Councillor Duffy said they needn't limit themselves in their ambition. “We could have U2 coming to play if we get our act together!”