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The contest for the White House may be over but the battle between Mayo and Louth for who has greatest stake over president-elect Joe Biden has only just begun.
On Sunday, supporters of the Irish for Biden campaign joined distant relations es of Mr Biden at a celebration in Carlingford, Co Louth.
Distant cousin and local resident Eamonn Thornton said he spoke by phone to Mr Biden earlier this month and the Democratic Party candidate told him he would do his best to visit his ancestral home in Co Louth.
Mr Thornton, carrying pictures of himself and then vice president taken in the county in 2016, also said Mr Biden had asked him what the reaction to the election campaign had been.
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“I said it is very good and, as far as everyone around here is concerned, you are home and dry.”
He said they spoke for approximately 20 minutes and during it Mr Thornton said “we are going to hold you to your word, that if you ever became president, that two years into your office you would come back and visit us”.
“He said: ‘If it is at all possible I’ll be doing that, I guarantee you that,’” Mr Thornton said.
Others attending the outdoor celebration were the Carlingford Pipe Band who played a specially composed tune “Our Local Joe”.
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Mr Biden’s great-great grandfather James Finnegan and wife Catherine lived in the Cooley Peninsula before they emigrated to America in the 1850s. Another great-great grandfather Edward Blewitt was born in Ballina and emigrated from Co Mayo to Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Among those delighted with his win was distant cousin John Owen Finnegan who said “we are very honoured here in this area to have him as our man, he is one of our own now”.
Describing Mr Biden as “a gentleman”, he said: “We met him in 2016 in Finnegan’s pub, we had our photos taken with him and wished him the best of luck then and we still wish him the best of luck and good health to him, and we wish him back here as soon as possible.”
Paul Allen, lead organiser of the Irish for Biden campaign, said, “there has probably been no other president in US history that takes a greater pride in their heritage than Joe Biden.”
He said “the potential for this is enormous, from improved relationships, US companies in Ireland, undocumented Irish, Brexit and co-operation on international policy due to our seat on the UN Security Council”.