Wheels up for Air Force One late last night after Ballina, hometown of his Blewitt forebears, hosted the final engagement of Joe Biden’s four-day trip to Ireland. It’s hard to conclude that the visit was anything other than an unqualified success.
President Biden was clearly enjoying himself immensely, his easy rapport with politicians, the public and everyone else he met obvious to onlookers and participants in his various encounters. Being president of the United States means that every minute of your day is planned and allocated, but it was clear from early on in the visit that Biden’s timetable would be stretched and expanded to accommodate his reluctance to leave one event in time to make it to the next. He seemed unwilling to bring any engagement to an end. This tendency was democratically extended to all, without regard to rank or station.
Nobody really minded. Biden came with a message of friendship and shared values, but he also reminded us that the relationship this country enjoys with the United States is an extraordinarily beneficial one. The economic benefits for Ireland – though investment flows and commerce work in both directions – of decades of involvement by US corporates here are too obvious to need much elaboration.
Likewise, the political benefits have been obvious for many years. The commitment to helping achieve and sustain peace in Northern Ireland is more than 40 years old; from the earliest days of the peace process in the 1990s, the White House was an active, and at times indispensable, player. When Ireland needed friends during the grim and uncertain aftermath of Brexit, the US government made clear in stark and unmistakable terms its view of the obligations of the British – even when London seemed to have forgotten about them.
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Biden’s visit reminded us of all this, and more besides. But the highly personal nature of his programme, with visits to Louth and Mayo to the homes of his ancestors, also reminded us of the personal and familial nature of the relationship between Ireland and America. Beyond political and economic ties, these human bonds are worth celebrating in themselves.
Biden spent most of his time in the Republic. But, in some ways, his visit to Belfast was more noteworthy. His speech at the University of Ulster was heartfelt, optimistic and carefully judged. He did not seek to persuade the DUP to return to powersharing, preferring instead to assure his audience that US economic might stands ready to help if and when political stability and self-government return. The message will not, hopefully, be lost on the DUP. Either way, it is clear the occupant of the White House will be watching closely. Ireland should be grateful for that.